Ninja Gamer
by DragonKnightRyu
Summary: So, dying sucks, but hey, I get a chance at reincarnation with a special power, and that power is 'The Gamer' so that's awesome! But... I'm being reincarnated into the world of Naruto, where giant chakra beasts can nuke you, crazy Uchiha roam who want to rule the world with the power of the moon, a guy who thinks he's a god wants to 'share his pain'. Yup, I am going to die again...
1. Chapter 1: Reincarnation

**Welcome to the Naruto RPG!**

The words were floating in front of me in what could only be considered to be a complete void.

"What?" At this point it was the only thing that I could manage to get past my lips in the shock of the situation I found myself in.

 **You have been chosen out of all the souls that passed at the moment of your death to be reincarnated into a special world with special powers. Lucky You!**

That's when it figuratively hit me, I fucking _**DIED**_! It was official I hate drunk drivers even more than I previously did. I fumed for several moments in anger before a chilling dread filled me. "I fucking _died_ ," I said vocally after several moments. "Goddammit."

 **Your power was randomly selected out of a hat, you get the powers of the Gamer! Your life will now work like a video game! With stats, levels and skills to grind and loot to acquire!**

I blinked in response as I stared at the words floating in front of me in the void, moving to scratch my scalp only not to feel anything. Blinking I 'looked' down to 'see' nothing but more of the void. "Where is my body?" I voiced, 'blinking' as I stared at the nothing where my body should be.

 **You are currently dead, what use do you have for a body?**

I stared at the words before me, idly noting they were in a light blue box. "Mouthy little shit aren't you?" I questioned with an eye twitch.

 **You will be given a randomly generated body based upon your choices in the character selection screen, shall we begin? Or will you continue to bitch about every little thing?**

I frowned in response. "Fine," I sighed as I 'slumped'.

Shortly after a larger blue box appeared before me with a number of checkboxes and choices available.

 **First up is where you will be born, each location has an advantage and disadvantage to them, as well as limiting what options you have for which clan you are born to. Limit to one chosen perk for location of birth.**

I hummed in response as I looked at the screen of choices before me and reached out to press the '?' that was sitting beside the entry labeled 'Ame no Kuni.

 **Ame no Kuni The country of Amegakure which is lead Hanzo the Salamander and Akatsuki, this country has been embroiled in a very long civil war.**

 **Related Perks**

 *** - Will be forced upon you**

 ***Child Soldier -** You were pressed into service as a child, leading you being forced to learn fast or die even faster, but in exchange you will be unable to properly understand anything but war and battle. +50% EXP to battle based skills and ninjutsu, +100% EXP gained in combat. -50% EXP to non battle based skills and ninjutsu, -100%EXP gained for non battle activities

 **One with Water -** Water has always surrounded you, as a result it has become a very part of your being, leading to you having a Natural Water Affinity, at the cost of never being able to develop of Fire Affinity. +200% EXP Gains to Water Chakra Affinity, locked out from gaining a Fire Chakra Affinity and learning Fire Ninjutsu.

 **Rain Child -** You have always been a strange child, being able to sense people whenever it was raining, feeling more energetic when it was raining, as if the very rain itself was apart of you. Chakra Sense active when raining, +10 to all stats when raining, -10 to all stats when not raining.

The list continued on with various choices before I closed the window.

Well… this would be interesting. I looked through the next couple of entries, dismissing them because… well… they were the _filler_ countries until my eyes landed on the entry of Mizu no Kuni.

 **Mizu no Kuni, the country of Mizugakure where bloodline abilities are persecuted against and hunted to extinction by the Sandaime Mizukage, currently in a civil war.**

 **Related Perks**

 *** - Will be forced upon you**

 ***Child Soldier -** You were pressed into service as a child, leading you being forced to learn fast or die even faster, but in exchange you will be unable to properly understand anything but war and battle. +50% EXP to battle based skills and ninjutsu, +100% EXP gained in combat. -50% EXP to non battle based skills and ninjutsu, -100%EXP gained for non battle activities - Only applicable if you choose a Kekkai Genkai based Clan

 **Lavaborn -** Your clan has learned the secrets of one of the more destructive forces of nature, you were born with the ability to mix Fire and Earth together to make Lava. Lava Release Jutsu available, start with Natural Earth and Fire Chakra Affinity Perks.

 **A Bone to pick -** You are a member of the now defunct Kaguya clan that attacked their own village to satiate their thirst for battle. Dead Bone Pulse available for use, +25% EXP to combat related skills and ninjutsu, +50% EXP gained in combat. -25% EXP to non battle based skills and ninjutsu, -50%EXP gained for non battle activities.

 **Ice Cold -** You are a member of the nearly extinct Yuki clan, hunted and hiding you are helped by the fact that you are able to use your clan's Ice Release Jutsus. Ice Release available for use. You start with Natural Water and Wind Chakra Affinity Perks.

 **Boiling Water -** It really shouldn't have surprised anyone that the clan that was gifted with the Boil Release resided in Mizu no Kuni, everyone will be nervous about getting into the water with you. Boil Release available. You start with Natural Water and Fire Chakra Affinity Perks

 **A Killer Personality -** Your village is called the Bloody Mist for a reason, your past has been steeped in blood from even before you started at the Academy, killing people to survive is your legacy, but it will always make people nervous when dealing with you. Start with the Silent Killing perk, +100% EXP Gained to Silent Killing and Hidden Mist Jutsu, -100% to all reputation gains, start at 'Distrusted' Status with many factions and individuals

 **Fun with Swords! -** Your village is _very_ well known for it's Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, so much so that you wish to emulate them, but your zeal in imitating them has led to certain deficiencies. +250% EXP to Sword based skills, -50% EXP to all non sword based skills.

Eventually I dismissed the screen, there were some tempting options in there, to be completely honest, but trying to survive the Civil War? FUCK THAT SHIT!

The next entry I selected was Kaminari no Kuni.

 **Kaminari no Kuni, Home of Kumogakure, one of the more militarized villages of the Great Five Nations, be ready for cold weather, falling hazards and rapping Jinchuriki's, you have been warned**

 **Related Perks**

 *** - Will be forced upon you**

 **Stormy Skies -** You were chosen in the Academy to learn a specific type of jutsu by the Raikage. Storm Release available.

 **To Swiftly Flee! -** Your clan has always been fleet footed with their hidden technique, you have been no different, although for some reason people seem to think that you like to run from fights. Swift Release Available, people will have a tendency to taunt you.

 **Thunderstruck -** Living in the land of lighting has given you a profound understanding of Lighting and Thunder, the constantly noise does hurt your hearing. Thunder Release available, hearing checks will all be at a disadvantage

 **Sagely Weapons -** Not many receive the honor to learn how to use the artifacts of the Sage of Six Paths, but you have, and with it, came the attention of those with… Less than helpful means - Access to the Tools of the Sage of Six Paths, you will experience a constant stream of thieving and assassination attempts

 **Ride the Lighting! -** The Sandaime Raikage made his name known when he went untouched by all save the Hachibi, many are hoping you can do the same when they start you training in his technique. - Start with Natural Lighting Affinity Perk, you will undergo intensive training in Lightning Release Chakra Mode, failure will result in permanent crippling injuries or death

 **Blinded by the Light! -** With it's frequent storms and cloud cover, light is a commodity in Kumogakure, something your clan always had in excess thanks to you Hidden Jutsu. - Start with the Light Release Perk.

Well… tempting choices to be sure, especially the 'Ride the Lightning!' perk, but the permanent crippling injuries and death turned me off from it. Shaking my head I closed the screen and moved along the list before selecting Kaze no Kuni.

 **Kaze no Kuni, home of Sunagakure and dominated by a massive desert, the people are hardy and unfazed by the sandstorms that frequent the area.**

 **Related Perks**

 *** - Will be forced upon you**

 ***Sandwalker -** considering your village is in the middle of the desert, is it really any surprise that you are able to easily move through the desert? It would be stupid to live here otherwise! You have no movement penalties when moving through the desert and won't get lost amongst the sand, you also know where to find oases for water.

 **Scorching Winds -** Your clan has always been a smaller one, but none can deny that their jutsu is frightening, especially in the desert where hot winds blow on a daily basis. Scorch Release available. Start with Natural Wind and Fire Affinity perks.

 **A Magnetic Personality -** Being able to move particles of iron will definitely get people's attention, especially considering how strong the Sandaime Kazekage was. Magnetic Release(Iron) available. Additional attention to your career

 **How could a bolt of cloth hurt me? -** It doesn't look impressive at first glance, but as with all ninja, appearances are deceiving as you can do a _lot_ of things with some cloth and a bit of fuuinjutsu. Cloth Manipulation Technique available. +15% EXP gains to Fuuinjutsu skills

 **Not Dolls, PUPPETS! -** Puppetry is a well respected tradition in Sunagakure, although some people are prone to tease you about it sometimes. Puppet Technique available, will often be taunted for playing with dolls

Yeah… not sure about Sunagakure to be honest, would be nice to try and give Gaara a friend, but… well… _**GAARA**_. So… next!

 **Tsuchi no Kuni, home of Iwagakure, a hard place to grow things, but somehow people survive in a place where stone rules.**

 **Related Perks**

 *** - Will be forced upon you**

 ***Conscripted -** Iwagakure has always been militant, and within the village, if you aren't useful, you're cannon fodder until proven otherwise - You are drafted into the Shinobi Corps unless choosing Merchantborn perk.

 **KABOOM! -** Welp, explosions are awesome, and right at your fingertips, LITERALLY! - Explosion Release available, you have mouths in your hands

 **Made of Stone -** Your body is as hard as the stone you live on, making very difficult to harm you, but it is also hard to feel subtle sensations. - Stone Body Release available, sense of touch is diminished.

 **Like a Mole! -** You always felt more comfortable under the ground than above it, who knows what may come falling out of the sky! So much so, you pretty much are blind as a mole - Hiding like a Mole Jutsu available. Blind.

 **Sticky Fingers! -** Sometimes things appear in your pockets without your knowledge, sometimes they appear in other people's pockets, all you know is some of this stuff is pretty cool - +250% EXP gain to Pick Pocketing and Sleight of Hand skills, but people are always blaming you for their missing things

 **Dust is dangerous -** Yup, you got the Sandaime Tsuchikage's attention, and with it Dust Release, but fuck up, and he will have your head - Dust Release available, but one mistake and you will die

Huh… well that's going to be a big hard _nope!_ Iwa would be rough to work with already, let alone living there!

 **Hi no Kuni, home of Konohagakure. A fairly moderate nation when compared to others like Mizu no Kuni. While not a military powerhouse like others, they are arguably one of the strongest economically due to the sheer size of their territory.**

 **Related Perks**

 *** - Will be forced upon you**

 **Jutsu Thieves-** Member of the Uchiha Clan, and wielder of the Sharingan Bloodline. Capable of learning non-bloodline Jutsu +50% quicker and Sharingan EXP growth is increased by +50%. But be careful, Uchiha have been shown to be mentally unstable in some way. +50 Chakra, +1 DEX and WIS per level

 **Eyes in the back -** Member of the Hyuga Clan and wielder of the Byakugan bloodline. Gives the user the capability of 359 degrees of vision when active. Unlocks Hyuga skill/Jutsu tree, people will always wonder if you are peeping on them with your eyes. +2 DEX and INT per level

 **Man's best friend -** Dogs are awesome, who needs cats! At least you'll never be alone with your buddy at your side! Member of the Inuzuka Clan and user of Ninken. - You have a Ninken partner until they die, +50% EXP gain and access to Inuzuka techniques. +2 DEX per level, you will behave more animalistic and have dog like instincts, so watch out for squirrels!

 **FOR THE SWARM! -** Bugs are dangerous creatures that many don't really think about, but you do, not surprising considering they live inside of you. Member of the Aburame Clan - +50% EXP gain and Access to the Aburame Clan techniques and abilities, people are often grossed out by you. +2 WIS per level

 **Mindwalker -** The mind is a fragile thing, and you call the minds of others your playground! Member of the Yamanaka Clan. - +50% EXP bonus to Yamanaka Jutsu and techniques, your body will be vulnerable when using them. +1 DEX and INT per level

 **Troublesome -** Member of the Nara Clan. People always see you as lazy, but your mental acuity is the best in the village, and your skills in the family's signature Shadow Possession Jutsu are nothing to sneeze at. - +50% EXP bonus to Nara Jutsu and techniques, +25 to INT score on creation, but not motivated to do much of anything. +2 INT and WIS per level, -.5 STR and VIT per level unless regularly training

 **Big Eater -** Some people have bigger appetites than most. As a member of the Akimichi clan, you have one of the biggest appetites in the village, and are sometimes called fat, but you certainly know how to throw your weight around. - +50% EXP bonus to Akimichi Jutsu and techniques. +1 STR and VIT per level, will alway be on the large size

 **Uzumaki Descendant -** While the clan was scattered, some made their way to Konoha and set their roots down there, hopefully some people will get the hint not to try anything with your ramen. - +100 Chakra, +3 VIT per level. 50% EXP Bonus to learning Fuuinjutsu, will have the attention of some people.

 **Clanless -** You are civilian born, your parents, while successful merchants, have never learned how to use chakra, nor do you have a repertoire of exclusive techniques for you to learn, good luck buddy, unless you make very good clan friends, you're on you're own. - No Clan techniques of your own, more money to work with though!

I let out a sigh as I look through the assorted perks of Konohagakure, hell, it probably was the best place for me to start if I was being completely honest with myself, Naruto was there, and he freaking changes the world. Sasuke was there and he tries to rule it at one point.

Letting out a groan I look through the choices more carefully, considering my options before landing on the Uchiha clan one. "Fuck it, in for a penny, in for a pound," I growled before accepting the perk, a wave of _something_ passing through me before a new screen showed up.

 **Congrats on belonging to the clan of Jutsu Thieves!** \- I roll my eyes at the message - **Now, you start with four perk points to choose from the following choices, these may end up being temporary due to circumstances, but you will not get any points back if they are lost, so be careful!**

Closing the screen a new one popped up with a varying degree of choices before me, ranging from chakra affinities, to specialization choices… okay… let's do this then…

 **[]Fangirl (Female Only) -** You are a member of a Fangirl Horde. Your skills at stalking your target are second to none, but you give Kunoichi everywhere a bad name. - +50% EXP gain Bonus to stalking-related skills, other Kunoichi look down on you for giving them a bad name.

 **[]Angsty Avenger -** Your family is dead, and now you're going to find and kill the one responsible, no matter what! - +100% EXP gain bonus to combat related skills, -100% to social related skills and are easily manipulated by others, +2 STR and VIT, -2 WIS per level

 **[]No Jutsu -** Your Chakra coils are damaged such that you cannot use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. However, you have trained your skills in Taijutsu to make up for this. - Unable to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, +100% EXP gain bonus to Taijutsu.

 **[]Duck and Cover! -** Sharp and pointy things have always fascinated you, and throwing weapons like kunai and shuriken have always felt at home in your hand - until they were thrown anyways, so it was no surprise when you grabbed up as many as you could. - +50% EXP gain to Throwing Weapons skills, but you will always have to buy new stocks of them compared to others.

 **[X]Feel the Burn! -** Fire has always warmed people in the cold nights, chased predators away with its light, and burned your enemies to ash! You little pyro you, fire is your go to weapon of choice when it comes to dealing with your enemies. Start with Natural Fire Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Fire ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **[]Make a Splash -** Not much can stop a rushing tide of water, and no one complains about a source of freshwater, just make sure you don't drown yourself in your own technique! - Start with Natural Water Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Water ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **[]Blow them Away -** Even the greatest of mountains are laid low when it comes to the wind, You will blow people off their feet when you enter battle. - Start with Natural Wind Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Wind ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **[]Strength of the Earth -** Being buried alive is a fate nobody wants, and you can impart that fear into your enemies! Just remember, you can't breath earth yourself! - Start with Natural Earth Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Earth ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **[]Shock and Awe -** No one can miss your techniques on the field with the light and noise they generate, hopefully your enemies can keep their nervous systems intact when you're through with them! - Start with Natural Lightning Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Lightning ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **[]Illusion Master -** Reality is an Illusion all of it's own, make your enemies question that with your Genjutsu skills and confound them all, but you better not get caught up close with people, you are frail after all! - +100% EXP gain to Genjutsu techniques, -50% to taijutsu skills

 **[X]Medic Nin -** 'You don't FUCK with the white mage' you heal your friends and destroy your enemies' organs, now you just need to remember where you left your watch! - +100% EXP gain to Iryojutsu, but enemies will try to target you first

 **[]Too Much Chakra -** You possess Chakra reserves greater than most of your year. On the plus side, this means you can power up your Ninjutsu to devastating levels, and might be able to use Shadow Clones. However, you have always had Chakra control issues, and you tend to overpower your Genjutsu, meaning that illusions are practically worthless to you - +300% Chakra Reserves, allows learning Shadow Clone Jutsu, +100% Ninjutsu Strength, -50% EXP Gain to Chakra Control Exercises, -95% Genjutsu Integrity.

 **[]Wait, who was that? -** You've never really stood out from the crowd, your face blending in with others easily making your infiltration missions much easier. - +50% to stealth, you don't stand out in a crowd, for all the positives and negatives

 **[]Cool Guys don't look at Explosions -** You have always felt the itch to use it ever since the first demonstration of an explosive tag, the urge to just blow your problems up with high powered explosives, hopefully your allies aren't nearby! - +250% EXP gain to Fuuinjutsu (Explosive Notes), but your explosions have a large splash radius and can harm allies if not careful

 **[]Flicker -** In your opinion speed is the greatest thing for a shinobi, and the Body Flicker Jutsu is the greatest ninjutsu ever created. - +100% EXP gain to Body Flicker Jutsu, you have a hard time sitting still

 **[]Attuned to Nature -** You always felt a piece when amongst nature, it leaves you feeling at peace and calm. But as everyone knows, Mother Nature can be a real bitch to those who piss her off! - Starts Natural Senjutsu perk, but you have trouble living in 'civilized' areas

 **[]Prankster -** Hey, it's training! Your skills with pranks earns you the ire of everyone you target either directly or inadvertently, but hey, it makes you good with stealth and trapmaking! - +50% EXP gain to Trapping and Stealth skills, but when you prank someone you lose reputation with them.

 **[]Pervert -** You read the Icha Icha series, and do so openly. - +25% bonus to stealth skills when peeking on your sexual orientation, but will take a loss to your reputation when caught

 **[]Super Pervert -** You aspire to be the next Jiraiya, and write your own Icha Icha books. Just be careful you don't get caught peeking on the Kunoichi at the Hot Springs! - +50% bonus to stealth when peeking on your sexual orientation, but if caught you will take a massive hit to reputation

 **[]Good with numbers -** You've always been good with numbers, and money hasn't been much of an issue when you started taking control of it personally. - You can find bargains easier and are able to find good investments

 **[]Truthseeker -** You've always hated lies and deceptions and pursued the truth no matter what the cost! - +50% EXP gain to Interrogation skill, able to find the truth, for all it's good and ill

 **[]Knife to meet you! -** Shinobi are good with knives, you've turned it into an art form, don't slip up and lose your fingers!- +50% EXP gain to knife fighting skills

 **[X]With this sword of mine -** You've always enjoyed the way the light dances off the edge of a sword, some even think you like it even more with the blood of your enemies coating it. **-** +50% EXP gain to Kenjutsu skills.

 **[]Packrat -** Hey, you never know when a five year old newspaper will come in handy, shinobi never know where their mission may lead to after all, at least you have access to some good storage seals, right? - +150% EXP Gain to Fuuinjutsu (Storage Seals), but you will always keep everything you pick up

 **[X]Sealmaster -** Hey, they use Fuuinjutsu to seal Bijuu, would you really want to fuck with someone that has turned that art into an art of their own? - +50% EXP bonus to Fuuinjutsu

My nonexistent eyes began to ache as I looked through the choices, dear god there were so many of them! Shaking my head I finally selected my four, **With this Sword of Mine, Medic Nin, Feel the Burn! and Sealmaster**. I wish I could rub my eyes right now… they nonexistently ached…

 **Thank you for completing the Character Creation! Now beginning reincarnation process, have fun!**

"Wait… what?" I blinked before a flash of light blinded me and the next thing I knew I was staring up at a ceiling above me wondering what the _fuck_ just happened?

 **Reincarnation complete, now starting basic tutorial, to open your status page, please vocalize 'status'**.

I blinked as I stared at the box. "Uhh… Status?" I ventured, raising an eyebrow, hey I actually _felt_ that! Nice!

The world seemed to pause as a screen appeared before me before another screen blocked it out.

 **This is the Status screen, here you can see your current status, remember, the world continues to move as you have this active, but no one else can see it, so be careful! We have also made it so that you only have to think about the action you want to take! Oh, and +100 EXP for First opening your Status Screen!**

I let out a small groan before dismissing the screen and looking at my Status

 **Name:** Yuriko Uchiha **  
Level:** 4  
 **EXP** : 100/3000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Academy Student (+25% EXP until level Ten) **  
STATS  
HP - **240 **  
CP -** 466 **  
STR -** 15 (22.5) **  
INT -** 14 **  
DEX -** 19 (28.5) **  
VIT -** 16 **  
WIS -** 19 **  
LUK -** 10

 **Available Stat Points - 20**

Well… that was something to work with at lea-

Wait… what did Gender say?

Female? Me? But… I'm a guy!

Mr Text Box, can you explain this please?

 **Character Appearance and gender was randomly generated upon reincarnation!**

Oh… _joy_.

I let out a small whimper in response as I somehow remained… surprisingly calm all things considered, could it be?

"Perks?"

A new window popped up before me, showing a list of my perks.

 **PERKS**

 **Sealmaster -** Hey, they use Fuuinjutsu seal Bijuu, would you really want to fuck with someone that has turned that art into an art of their own? - +50% EXP bonus to Fuuinjutsu

 **With this sword of mine -** You've always enjoyed the way the light dances off the edge of a sword, some even think you like it even more with the blood of your enemies coating it. **-** +50% EXP gain to Kenjutsu skills

 **Medic Nin -** 'You don't FUCK with the white mage' you heal your friends and destroy your enemies organs, now you just need to remember where you left your watch! - +100% EXP gain to Iryojutsu, but enemies will try to target you first

 **Feel the Burn! -** Fire has always warmed people in the cold nights, chased predators away with its light, and burned your enemies to ash! You little pyro you, fire is your go to weapon of choice when it comes to dealing with your enemies. Start with Natural Fire Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Fire ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Natural Fire Affinity** \- Your chakra has always burned bright, now it's time to show the world just how much by releasing it in white hot flames! - 15% chakra cost reduction to fire ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Gamer's Body** \- Your body is that of a Video Game Character… somewhat at least - You recover HP and CP when sleeping - 100% in your bed, 75% in someone else's, 50% in a sleeping bag or tent, 25% on the ground or in the trees

 **Gamer's Mind** \- Your have the mind of an RPG Gamer, so keep your calm and make some wise choices… hopefully. You are able to calm yourself more easily, but be careful, extreme emotional distress can still affect you.

Well… that's a thing. Now that a calm was enforced over my mind, I began to consider an important question. ' _At what point in time am I?_ ' I questioned myself, laying in the bed completely still. I was pre-massacre obviously, at least… I hoped so considering I heard movement in the house I was in at the moment.

It was at that moment memories began to assault my mind as I tried to sort through them, images of what could only be my parents flashed through my mind, undergoing basic training with my father as he began to teach me the Uchiha taijutsu style, learning chakra control from my mother, starting at the academy, impressing my parents and clan elders by learning the **Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu**.

It all came rushing at me, filling my mind for several moments as a gasp escaped my lips. And just like it started it was gone, the memories remain, just waiting for me to call on them, but the pain from the rush of them was gone.

A knocking on the door broke me out of my thoughts as my mother called through the door. "Yuriko-chan, it's time to get up," she said firmly.

"I'm up!" I call back as I sat up, my covered dropping from me to show the simple t-shirt and shorts I wore to bed.

"Alright, breakfast is on the table, and your father is eyeing it~" my mother - it was strange but not strange to call her that. Weird, right?

"Just getting dressed!" I called in return automatically, letting my instincts take over somewhat as I hopped out of bed and headed out to the dining room.

"Good morning!" I called out to my parents as I came out of my bedroom and moved to the table to eat my breakfast, my memories telling my that eating was the first thing I did before getting cleaned up.

"Good morning, Yuriko-chan," my father greeted, a solid looking man with a wiry build and creases on his face, showing his middle age with the standard black colored Uchiha hair cut short and his onyx colored eyes glinting in amusement.

"Good morning," my mother returned, placing some more food on the table, a motherly looking woman with soft curves and a gentle face, her hair differing from most Uchiha being a light brown in color, although she did retain the typical Uchiha black eyes. "Ready for your test today?"

I quickly consulted my memories, I did indeed have a small written test today that I had spent studying for last night. "Uh-huh," I replied with a nod as I began to dig into the meal before me, bacon and eggs with some toast. "It'll be easy!"

My parents ( _So damn freaky on an intellectual level!_ ) chuckled in amusement at my eagerness. "Well, when you get home, we can get you started on the next level of chakra control," my mother informed with a gentle smile.

My eyes lightened up as my memories supplied what exactly that was, FREAKING TREE WALKING! "Awesome!" I vocalized my enthusiasm for what I felt was one of the most underrated techniques out there, I mean seriously, you're telling gravity to fuck off and jack it while you RUN UP WALLS! Only thing better was walking on water like some kind of ninja-Jesus!

My mother chuckled in response as she ruffled my hair playfully making me giggle in response ( _Did I really just_ giggle!). "Come on, go get a shower you, don't want to show up to class all stinky, do you?" she questioned with an amused grin.

"Right!" I replied as I climbed down from the table and headed for the bathroom, my feet automatically tracing the steps there.

Once I was in the shower with the water running I let my body run on autopilot as I opened the Status screen. "20 points to allocate, huh?" I murmured to myself as I looked at my stats, uncertain what I should go for. "Hm… uhh… help screen?"

A helpful little box popped up for me.

 **HELP**

 **This is a basic primer on what each aspect of the screen means, refer to this if you are confused or uncertain about an effect or ability of you Gamer power!**

 **Level - Your current level of strength, the more you learn, the higher of a level you gain, with each level you get 5 Stat Points to allocate and an bonus according to any related perks!**  
 **EXP - You gain experience with every action you take, this will accumulate to a level up, certain status effects can increase or decrease the amount of experience gained  
Age - Fairly self explanatory, how old you are, you age can affect how people act and behave towards you!  
Gender - Again, not much of an explanation needed, but certain missions are only available for each gender!  
Title - Titles are gained through your actions and behaviors, be careful through, as not all titles have a positive effect on you.  
HP - Hit Points, your health, this hits zero and you are DEAD, just so you know, there are NO retries or loading up saved games, so you better not hit zero! Calculated by multiplying base STR and VIT  
CP - Chakra Points, a lot of your actions require chakra, and if you hit zero and try to use more, not only will you gain a debuff, but the power will come from your HP instead, so use **_**very**_ **carefully. Calculated by multiplying base INT and WIS  
STR - How hard you punch people! Critical for Taijutsu and weapon wielder builds as well as your standard Carry Weight capacity!  
INT - How smart are you? Intelligence will affect how easily you can memorize things and figure out the complex math and sciences.  
DEX - Your dexterity, how well can you aim and coordinate your body, if this is low, you are more likely to trip, hurt yourself with thrown kunai and shuriken and cut your allies with your sword!  
VIT - Vitality, how healthy are you? This will help with shaking off poisons and debilitating effects like concussions and illness.  
WIS - How well you can make a decision, being smart is one thing, being wise is completely different ballpark. If this remains low, you may very well end up accidentally defecting from your village due to a string of poor decisions!  
LUK - Lucky lucky! Has a hand in many different things, a little luck can go a long way, but sometimes, Lady Luck isn't around, so be cautious!**

Huh… that… is actually very helpful, thank you Mr. Text Box.

Seeing the effects of each before me I decided to allocate five points to my WIS, INT and DEX before putting three into STR and two into VIT since I was planning for a white mage type of build, looking at it carefully I nodded and confirmed my new stats.

 **Level:** 4  
 **EXP** : 100/3000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Academy Student (+25% EXP until level Ten) **  
STATS  
HP - **324 **  
CP -** 656 **  
STR -** 18 (27) **  
INT -** 19 **  
DEX -** 24 (36) **  
VIT -** 18 **  
WIS -** 24 **  
LUK -** 10

Not too bad, a bit chakra heavy, but it would help keep people alive when I learned medical jutsus, actually, speaking of. "Skills," I called out as I began to wash my neck length hair.

 **SKILLS**

 **Fire Release: Great Fireball (Active)[Level 3 - 22.32%]** \- Staple Jutsu of the Uchiha Clan, burn your enemies alive with either a massive ball of fire, or a continuous flame-thrower - **Fireball -** 106 fire damage with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 100 CP per fireball - **Flame-Thrower** \- 56 fire damage per second, with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 50 CP per second

 **Uchiha Interceptor Fist (Passive)[Level 10 - 15.01%]** \- The primary and basic taijutsu of the Uchiha clan, has several offshoot forms but each Uchiha has roots with this technique, makes maximum use of the **Sharingan** to predict and counter enemy attacks - increases DEX and STR by 5%

 **Basic Shurikenjutsu (Passive)[Level 5 - 97.90%]** \- The bread and butter of distractions for shinobi, hurling something sharp and shiny at your enemy! - Increases accuracy of thrown shuriken and kunai by +15%

 **Basic Kenjutsu (Passive)[Level 8 - 88.12%]** \- The very basics of using a sharp metal sword, with this you're only a single step above those idiots waving them around with no idea what they're doing - +8.5% bonus to DEX and STR when using a sword type weapon

 **Substitution Jutsu (Active)[Level 6 - 40%]** \- The Ninja get out of death card, and piss of to your enemies who thought you were dead! - Allows you change places with an item up to a medium sized dog in weight to avoid an incoming attack you are aware of up to 4 times in a row, costs 10 CP per use

 **Transformation Jutsu (Active)[Level 4 - 72.34%]** \- The instant disguise kit! This genjutsu lets you disguise yourself from your enemies but is very fragile and can be disrupted easily. - Can transform into another person that is within 2 feet of your height and 50 lbs your weight. Costs 15 CP/ Second

 **Clone Jutsu (Active)[Level 8 - 9.02%]** \- A very basic clone technique, creates illusionary clones that don't have any shadows or creates sound - Can create up to Eight clones per use, 10 CP/Clone

Alright, something to work with it looks like, although I wasn't sure what my maximum for each one was? Was it 100? Less? Variable?

I finally shrugged in response as I rinsed the suds from my hair, something to figure out later, for now, I had an academy of FREAKING NINJAS to attend!

I knew the basic years were a lot of history and theory, but still, NINJAS!

* * *

Okay… upside, I now know what time period I'm in… downside, I'm in the tail end of the Third Shinobi World War.

Fuck.

Okay, **Gamer's Mind** activate, keep me from having a panic attack.

Alright, I am a stream, stress just washes away…

Nope, not working. Alright, plan B then, distract myself with class work, just in time too as the class' Shurikenjutsu instructor stepped between us and the target boards. "Alright, you all know the rules by now I hope," our teacher ( _Asai-sensei_ ) called out in a stern voice. "So break them, and spend the afternoon with me cleaning the Academy with a toothbrush."

Several gulps were heard as Asai-sensei glared at who my memories pointed out to be the class troublemakers. I watched in interest as my various classmates went through the drill, three by three, some were decent, other were… _spectacular_ for all the wrong reasons, although I'm pretty sure one of them got experience from the bird he killed as it passed by above. I glanced at myself in the reflection of a nearby window, my neck lenth ebony black hair pulled into a ponytail while a pair of bangs framed my chubby looking face ( _I'm a kid! All kids look chubby!_ ) with a rather cute nose, a face that if I judged correctly, would grow to be quite the beauty. My body wasn't much to look at, to be honest ( _Again, I'm a kid, why do I gotta keep telling myself that?_ ), but I was wearing a plain dark blue t-shirt with an Uchiha fan on the left shoulder and pair of black shorts with a pair of the strangely comfortable open toed shoes shinobi liked to wear.

"Sayuri-san! You're up!" Asai-sensei called out with a pair of names, cutting me off from my self inspection, prompting me to step forward to the throwing line. "Alright, throw when ready."

I swallowed a bit in nervousness, physically, yes I have done this before… mentally though?

Deciding to trust my physical self I flicked open the shuriken holsters that were on both thighs before scooping out a bunch with each hand and throwing them.

They made it look _really_ easy in the show, but in reality? Another story altogether let me tell you!

While my mind was letting my body run it on autopilot, that didn't mean I wasn't 'feeling it out' so to speak, I could feel each little muscle twitch in my fingers as I threw the shurikens towards the targets. Yeah… it's fucking _cool_ how in control my body is, but then again, training since I could walk would do that to a person.

Several thunks were heard as all ten of my shuriken hit the target, with only four of them hitting bullseye, but hey, that was the best all day so far!

"Excellent work as always. Sayuri-san," Asai-sensei told me with a grin and nod of approval, making my heart flutter a bit from the acknowledgement. "You may go back."

Okay… quick check, do I have a _crush_ on him? Oh thank god no! It was just that the man was _extremely_ hard to please.

Alright, that I can deal with, goddamn this is hard getting used to! All those reincarnation fanfics made it look so easy!

But… then again, this is reality and not a story.

Shaking my head I broke off that treacherous line of thought ( _No need to go all Deadpool on people_ ) and turned back to focusing on the class, a couple of small little boxes catching my attention.

 **All your shuriken hit the target! Four hit the Bullseye +122 Basic Shurikenjutsu EXP gained!**

 **Basic Shurikenjutsu has gained a level [Level 6]**

 **Basic Shurikenjutsu has gained a level! [Level 7]**

 **Your continued improvement with your training has increased your standing with Asai-sensei! +50 Reputation with Konjo Asai , +50 Reputation with Konoha Ninja Academy**

 **Your diligent training with your nimble fingers has increased your DEX by one!**

Well… _that's_ cool! Alright! Let's keep this gravy train going!

Although there was one question for me, where were the quests that normally went with the Gamer powers? Ah… wait… just under all those boxed that gave me the good news was the quest alert for the Shurikenjutsu practice.

 **QUEST ALERT!  
TIME EXPIRED!  
Impress Asai-sensei with your improving mastery over the Shurikenjutsu! Have all your shuriken hit the target!  
BONUS  
1\. Score Two Bullseyes  
2\. Score Three Bullseyes  
3\. Score Four Bullseyes  
Reward: +150 EXP, +100 Reputation with Konjo Asai and the Konoha Ninja Academy.  
BONUS REWARD!  
+50 EXP for each bonus reward met**

Ah… damn, there goes 250 experience and a 100 extra reputation points. I let out a small groan of disappointment that one of my classmates heard.

"Man Sayuri-chan, even with doing the best out of all of us, it's still not good enough for you?" a blond haired girl next to me questioned disbelievingly. She looked rather similar to Ino from the show actually with her iris free blue eyes, although her hair fell in ringlets around her head rather than a straight ponytail… ( _Chika Yamanaka-chan_ ) And that would be why, she is related.

"Well, I kinda realized I messed up midway through it, Chika-chan" I bluffed with a forced chuckle as I rubbed the back of my head.

"Man, you really are a perfectionist," another commented, approaching us with a chuckle, his dark green eyes glinting mischievously as he brushed a bang of his short grey hair back ( _Aoi Nanase-kun_ ). A civilian born boy my memories supplied.

I shrugged in response, smiling at one of my new - to me - friends. "Well, my family does have pretty high standards, Aoi-kun," I replied easily.

Aoi let out a dramatic sigh in response. "Alas, I am but a humble former civilian and as such can never understand the complexities of clan life," he wailed in a dramatic fashion, making myself and Chika giggle. Hey, the guy was actually pretty funny, for me at least.

But, it did help me relax a bit more, hey, all I needed to do was place some faith in my memories, the more I relaxed, the more natural the action that I needed to take came to me, alright, this I can do!

* * *

 **CHAPTER END!**

 **AN: Thanks goes out to SeerKing, he gave me a bit of help with how he did the HP/CP calculations, thanks for that man! So… um… favorite and review I guess? Later!**


	2. Chapter 2: First Mission

Alright, so, ninja school, fucking awesome once you were past all the theory and paper crap. Even if doing well on my test added a point to my INT score with 150 EXP for completing the test with more than 75% score. Thankfully I actually saw the quest alert for the test.

After spending some time with my two friends I began making my way home back to the Uchiha district, deep in thought. If I was remembering things correctly, Itachi was born around the time the third war started. The war had lasted for three years at most and we were currently in the second of the war, so I _should_ be at least six years older than him?

 **For thinking things out carefully, you've exercised your wisdom! +1 WIS**

Hmm… is the text box insulting me, or confirming my theory?

Eh, either way that improved my CP!

Speaking of actually… "[ **Status** ]," I vocalized quietly, causing the screen to pop up in front of me.

 **Level:** 4  
 **EXP** : 250/3000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Academy Student (+25% EXP until level Ten) **  
STATS  
HP - **324 **  
CP -** 700 **  
STR -** 18 (27) **  
INT -** 20 **  
DEX -** 25 (37.5) **  
VIT -** 18 **  
WIS -** 25 **  
LUK -** 10

Oh, 700 CP already, nice! I think my stats are looking pretty good at the moment, although I have to admit, the low LUK score worried me, would it increase if I played something like poker? Eh, something to test out later I suppose.

My attention was pulled from my inspection of my stats when I crossed into the Uchiha district, several shinobi darting out past me through the gates while several sporting bandages and casts limped their way in. Huh, now that I thought about it, didn't my dad have his left leg bandaged up?

Damn… I really need to pay more attention, my memory told me that my father had been injured on the front lines while my mother was often busy in the hospital as a medic.

Which brought my thoughts to the perk [ **Medic Nin** ]. I had picked it because I had thought if I learned Iryojutsu I would be able to keep more people alive, but if I never learned it, then the perk would go to waste, wouldn't it?

Firming my lips I began to jog towards home, resolved to ask my mother to start teaching me Iryojutsu.

Good news, my mother was home and she was _ecstatic_ that I wanted to learn Iryojutsu. Bad news… Iryojutsu is bloody fucking _**HARD**_ to learn!

Seriously, I was just learning the basic [ **Relaxation** ]and it took more than a dozen tries to get it right enough a window popped up declaring my success with the skill.

 **Congratulations, due to your diligent efforts a new skill has been created!**

 **Relaxation (Active) [Level 1 - 0.00%]** \- the most basic Iryojutsu used by the Medical Ninja, the user uses their chakra to relax the target, washing their fatigue away and stimulating their chakra regeneration, cannot be used on self. - +100% Chakra Regeneration on Target, 20 CP/second.

 **Because of your diligence in learning Iryojutsu, your reputation with Shigure Uchiha and Genrai Uchiha has increased by +250, your reputation with the Konoha Hospital staff has increased by +100**

 **QUEST COMPLETE!  
You have successfully learned the [Relaxation Technique] from your mother!  
+625 EXP, Beginner Iryojutsu Skill unlocked, Iryojutsu Scroll: [Gentle Healing] acquired.**

"Amazing, Yuriko-chan!" my mother cheered excitedly as she clapped her hands together. "Wow, I think we may have a medical prodigy on our hands, don't you think, dear?"

My father chuckled in agreement as he patted my hand that was resting on his shoulder, serving as my 'test dummy' for the technique. "Indeed, it's always good to have more Iryonin on hand," he let out a small sigh as he kept a hand on mine. "Such a shame Tsunade-sama's proposal fell through."

My mother sighed as he nodded in agreement. "Well, either way, here, Yuriko-chan, this is the next basic jutsu for Iryonin," she announced as she pulled out a scroll from her equipment pouch on the small of her back. "[ **Gentle Healing** ] jutsu, not great for serious injuries, but good for scrapes and bruises."

I grinned as I accepted the scroll. "Thanks mom!" I replied with an excited giggle as I glanced at the popup.

 **[Gentle Healing] Jutsu scroll acquired, learn? REQUIREMENTS: WIS - 20+ INT - 20+ Y/N?**

Grinning I ignored the popup for the time being and placed the scroll in my own equipment pouch. "I'll be sure to study it carefully before using it," I told her happily, getting a smile of approval from her.

"That's my girl!" she replied, ruffling my hair, garnering a squawk of indignation from me in response.

"Just don't push yourself too hard, alright?" My father requested solemnly, a sad look on his face. "We are shinobi of Konoha yes, but if we waste our lives by needlessly rushing forward, we won't be of any use to the Hokage, now will we?"

I swallowed tightly before nodding. Huh, guess my parents are strongly pro-Konoha, at least, I hope they are anyways.

My father smiled in response, patting my head. "Good," it was all he said, it was all he _needed_ to say.

* * *

Okay… I _really_ needed to pay more attention to my memories, because I have an older brother ( _Sakaki-nii-san)_ who had just gotten back from his deployment on the front lines.

My heart swelled in excitement as he walked through the front door, looking tired, but uninjured as he greeted us. "Sakaki-nii!" My bodies natural instinct had taken over at that point and I let it run it's course as I plowed into my brother with a massive hug, getting a good natured grunt from him in return as he hugged me back, a large grin on his tired looking face.

"Heya squirt," he greeted in return, his black eyes warm as he looked down at me, his hair a sloppy mess that hung like a mop from his scalp with only his headband keeping his hair from getting into his eyes. "Man you've gotten taller, I hope you've been keeping up with your training."

I grinned in response, taking back control as I assimilated the memories of my brother. "I'm learning Iryojutsu!" I declared proudly stepping back to plant my hands on my hips with a wide grin. "I already learned the first Justu mom taught me!"

Sakaki-nii smiled proudly in response as he crouched down to my eye level to place a hand on my head and meet my gaze. "Well, I'll be counting on you when you become a genin to keep me together in the field then," he told me with a chuckle.

"Of course! I'll be better than even Tsunade-sama!" I announced loudly, letting myself get caught up in the childish excitement as my family laughed in amusement.

"I look forward to seeing that then," he chuckled. "How about I show you some cool ken juts up tricks tomorrow after class?" He offered, getting my eyes to widen in excitement. "Can't have our medic be unable to defend herself after all!"

"Right!" I shouted eagerly in response, saluting him proudly.

* * *

My brother is _made_ of awesome, really, I was quite certain that Itachi couldn't hold a candle to him.

Stop looking me like that! He really is! Well, in _my_ opinion he was anyways.

I had forgotten how good it was to have a relationship with a brother, the brother I had in my previous life and I had drifted apart over time, disagreements coming between us. This… was a second chance for me, one that I wasn't going to give up, no way in hell!

Sakaki-nii had come to pick me up from the academy after classes, staying behind a bit to show off to some of my classmates for a bit before taking me to the clan training grounds, a pair of bokutos in his hand as we entered one of the unused ones.

 **You have entered the Uchiha Clan Training Grounds  
+50% EXP gained when within boundaries, CP Regeneration +200% when idle**

I quickly dismissed the window as I focused on my brother, hoping he never noticed my arm movement. "Alright," he began as he passed the smaller bokuto over to me, it was in the shape of a kodachi and sized for me. "We'll start with reviewing some of the katas we went over last time."

 **QUEST ALERT!  
Spend some time with your bother training in kenjutsu!  
OBJECTIVE  
Gain one level in [Beginner Kenjutsu]**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
1\. Gain a second level in [Beginner Kenjutsu]  
2\. Max out [Beginner Kenjutsu]**

 **REWARD  
Primary objective: +250 EXP, +200 Rep with Sakaki Uchiha  
Bonus Objective: +200 EXP, +100 Rep with Sakaki Uchiha per objective completed**

It was… fun being able to train with my brother, I actually gained a level towards the end of our time within the training ground as we went over the assorted forms that I needed ingrained within me in order to advance to the next level. I had even gotten some practice in with the [ **Relaxation Justus** ] gaining a couple of levels in it, and maxing out my [ **Basic Kenjutsu** ] skill at level ten.

My brother watched me carefully as I went through the motions of the katas, being mindful of the positioning of my feet and wooden blade as I steadily moved quicker and quicker under his examining gaze.

"I'm impressed, squirt, you really have been working hard at it," Sakaki-nii commented with a grin as I came to a stop. "I think you're at a point where you can learn some of the more advanced stuff, once you get that down, you can branch into the Uchiha sword style."

Holy crap the Uchiha had a sword style? Who knew?

"Really?" I vocalized with an eager grin that he returned.

"Definitely," he confirmed, a window popping up as it questioned if I wanted to evolve my [ **Basic Kenjutsu** ] to [ **Intermediate Kenjutsu** ] something that I quickly confirmed. "We can start with that later though," he told me, cutting my happy little dance that I was doing off. "I'm sure mom's finished with dinner and we need to clean ourselves up if we want food."

I giggled happily in response as I followed after my totally-more-awesome-than-Itachi brother as we headed towards our home.

 **QUEST COMPLETE!  
You have completed training with you older brother to his satisfaction!  
+437 EXP, +200 Rep with Sakaki Uchiha  
BONUS OBJECTIVES COMPLETED!  
+350 EXP, +200 Rep with Sakaki Uchiha**

 **Your Reputation with Sakaki Uchiha has been maxed out!**

"Have you been making friends in the Academy?" My brother questioned as we walked, smiling down at me.

"Uh-huh," I confirmed with a wide smile. "Chika-chan and Aoi-kun! Chika-chan is from the Yamanaka clan and Aoi-kun is a civilian!"

My brother chuckled as he ruffled my hair a bit. "Good to know," he replied in response. "Always remember, Yuriko-chan, Konoha shinobi always look out for one another, in this village, all of us are one big family, okay?"

Huh, my brother was a Konoha loyalist, that's a very good thing. But he was expecting a response so I nodded sombrely, picking up his tone. "And family always protects each other, right?" I questioned, my memories supplied me with the response he was looking for.

"Exactly," he confirmed, smiling proudly down at me. "It goes double for us Uchiha as well," he continued. "Our clan and the Senju founded Konoha, so that makes us everyone's older sibling, it is our responsibility to use our eyes to watch for dangers that come for Konoha, even if it means giving our life to protect our family."

I looked up at my brother as he stared ahead, his eyes somewhat distant as he spoke, looking as if he was lost in a memory of some kind, then he blinked and was back before me as if nothing had ever happened. "So, can I count on you to keep the village safe when I can't?"

"Of course!" I replied eagerly. "I'll be like you and protect the _whole_ village with my kickass skills!"

Sakaki smiled indulgently in response. "Good," he breathed as he rubbed my head affectionately, coming up to the door to our modest sized home. "I'm glad I can count on you."

I really wish I had been paying more attention to my brother instead of basking in the warmth of his affection, maybe then I could have seen the signs of what was to come.

* * *

"[ **Status** ]," I murmur, laying in my bed after a good home cooked meal and a warm shower, the screen popping up in front of me instantly.

 **Level:** 4  
 **EXP** : 1867/3000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Academy Student (+25% EXP until level Ten) **  
STATS  
HP - **324 **  
CP -** 700 **  
STR -** 18 (27) **  
INT -** 20 **  
DEX -** 25 (37.5) **  
VIT -** 18 **  
WIS -** 25 **  
LUK -** 10

Oh.. over halfway to my next level, nice. "[ **Skills** ]," I vocalized after a minute of double checking my stats.

 **SKILLS**

 **Fire Release: Great Fireball (Active)[Level 3 - 22.32%] -** Staple Jutsu of the Uchiha Clan, burn your enemies alive with either a massive ball of fire, or a continuous flame-thrower - Fireball - 106 fire damage with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 100 CP per fireball - Flame-Thrower - 56 fire damage per second, with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 50 CP per second

 **Uchiha Interceptor Fist (Passive)[Level 10 - 15.01%] -** The primary and basic taijutsu of the Uchiha clan, has several offshoot forms but each Uchiha has roots with this technique, makes maximum use of the Sharingan to predict and counter enemy attacks - increases DEX and STR by 5%

 **Basic Shurikenjutsu (Passive)[Level 7 - 43.06%] -** The bread and butter of distractions for shinobi, hurling something sharp and shiny at your enemy! - Increases accuracy of thrown shuriken and kunai by +15%

 **Intermediate Kenjutsu (Passive)[Level 1 - 0.00%]** \- You know a few basic sword katas and combos, and are getting pretty good at using the weapon in attack and defense - +10% bonus to DEX and STR when using a sword type weapon, +5% chance to block incoming attacks when using a sword type weapon, enables basic swordfighting special moves

 **Substitution Jutsu (Active)[Level 6 - 40%] -** The Ninja get out of death card, and piss of to your enemies who thought you were dead! - Allows you change places with an item up to a medium sized dog in weight to avoid an incoming attack you are aware of up to 4 times in a row, costs 10 CP per use

 **Transformation Jutsu (Active)[Level 4 - 72.34%] -** The instant disguise kit! This genjutsu lets you disguise yourself from your enemies but is very fragile and can be disrupted easily. - Can transform into another person that is within 2 feet of your height and 50 lbs your weight. Costs 15 CP/ Second

 **Clone Jutsu (Active)[Level 8 - 9.02%] -** A very basic clone technique, creates illusionary clones that don't have any shadows or creates sound - Can create up to Eight clones per use, 10 CP/Clone

 **Relaxation Technique (Active) [Level 4 - 4.11%]** \- the most basic Iryojutsu used by the Medical Ninja, the user uses their chakra to relax the target, washing their fatigue away and stimulating their chakra regeneration, cannot be used on self. - +100% Chakra Regeneration on Target, 20 CP/second.

 **Beginner Iryojutsu (Passive)[Level 3 - 32.74%]** \- You are now a step above from those with knowledge in first aid, while you won't be performing surgeries any time soon, you are able to heal minor wounds and keep people from getting infected - - 3% CP cost for Iryojutsu

Well, my repertoire of skills is building up fairly quickly at least, I was waiting on learning the [ **Gentle Healing** ] jutsu for a couple of days to first, actually study the scroll, and second, to reduce the chance of raising suspicion if it were to suddenly disappear from my hands.

But to be completely honest… I have no way of knowing how well I compare to genin, if only there was some way to ch DJ their stats and stuff to compare the-

Well… I'm an idiot.

Taking out the bokuto I used in practice with my brother I stared at it intently. "Observe," I mumbled under my breath trying to trigger the skill every Gamer uses. "C'mon… Observe.

 **You have created a new skill!**

 **Observe (Active)[Level 1] -** The go to skill of all with the power of the Gamer, with this you can see the stats of various items and people around you! - 10 CP/use

 **Wooden Kodachi** \- A wooden practice sword shaped and sized like a kodachi, fit for a child around the age of seven. 5 - 10 bludgeoning damage, +15% EXP to Kenjutsu skills

 **[Observe]'s level has increased by one!**

I barely managed to contain my 'squee' of excitement of my new skill as I set the bokuto back down and flopped back onto my bed humming in thought as I considered my powers some more. "[Reputation]," she said after several moments, causing a new screen to pop up.

 **REPUTATION**

 **Konohagakure - 200/5000 - Well Liked  
Uchiha Clan - 5000/7500 - Friendly  
Shigure Uchiha - 8000/10000 - Honored  
Genrai Uchiha - 8000/10000 - Honored  
Sakaki Uchiha - 25000/25000 - Exalted**

 **Yamanaka Clan - 1750/2500 - Neutral  
Chika Yamanaka - 5230/7500 - Friendly**

 **Civilians - 500/2500 Neutral  
Aoi Nanase 5020/7500 - Friendly**

 **Academy 3150/5000 - Well Liked  
Konjo Asai 4500/5000 - Well Liked**

Holy… apparently my brother thinks I'm God or something according to my reputation with him. The question is though… _why_? "[Help]," I vocalized, calling up the explanation on reputation.

 **REPUTATION  
This is where you will find information on your standing with assorted people you have encountered so far, whether positive or negative your reputation has an effect on your relations with people, some people may hate you for associating with someone, while others may like you for being at odds with others. The level of reputation you have with people can even have an affect on what Quests appear!**

 **Exalted -** When you are Exalted with someone, they will hold your safety above all others, no matter the personal cost to them. +100% effectiveness to [ **Teamwork** ] skills when working with those who hold you in [ **Exalted** ] status. You will receive special Quests from these people.

 **Honored** \- You are held in high regard with the subject, they will look out for you and always assist you when you need help. +75% effectiveness to [ **Teamwork** ] skills when working with those who hold you in [ **Honored** ] status.

 **Friendly** \- You are friends, and you will look out for each other in combat. +50% effectiveness to [ **Teamwork** ] skills when working with those who hold you in [ **Friendly** ] status.

 **Well-liked** \- You are more liked than disliked and they will be more likely to listen to your advice. +25% effectiveness to [ **Teamwork** ] skills when working with those who hold you in [ **Well-Liked** ] status.

 **Neutral** \- They neither like nor dislike you, to them, you _are_ a stranger in the street.

 **Disliked** \- You have annoyed somebody enough for them to disregard you, as a result they are less than likely to listen to you. -25% effectiveness to [ **Teamwork** ] skills when working with those who hold you in [ **Disliked** ] status.

 **Hated** \- They hate you and what you stand for, chances are, they may try and stab you in the back. -50% effectiveness to [ **Teamwork** ] skills when working with those who hold you in [ **Hated** ] status. A small chance to attack you on sight unless on neutral ground held by a neutral party

 **Reviled** \- Good luck getting them to listen to you, these people are going to be spitting on your grave when you die, preferably at their hands. -75% effectiveness to [ **Teamwork** ] skills when working with those who hold you in [ **Reviled** ] status. A good chance they will attack you on sight unless on neutral ground held by a neutral party

 **War** \- Whatever it was that you said to this person, they will never forget it, only the most extreme of circumstances will get them to listen to you. [ **Teamwork** ] skills have no effect when working with those who hold you in [ **War** ] status. They _will_ attack you on sight unless on neutral ground held by a neutral party

Well… that was helpful I guess… somewhat. I guess I should be on the lookout for a special quest from my brother then? But when will it come?

Letting out a sigh I roll over onto my side and dismissed the assorted boxes. Something to try and figure out later, my body is still young, and a lack of sleep will be detrimental to my health.

* * *

It's rather amazing, how quickly time could pass when you get into a routine, even though three months - and five levels - had come and gone, leading into Konoha's version of winter. Which was basically above freezing temperatures, and for someone from Canada, was _awesome_. No snow to shovel from the driveway, no freezing your asscheeks off going to the store, no christmas though, so that was a bit of a bummer.

But, there was one important thing that was happening that broke the routine. My class was being graduated early due to a large amount of losses on the front lines of the war. So, with our accelerated training program, we were declared fit for duty and given our headbands after a brief examination.

As soon as I was given my headband and assigned a team - our new sensei never even gave us the 'genin exam' I was given a new quest.

 **MANDATORY QUEST!**

 **You have been made a genin early due to the war raging in the Elemental Nations, defend your home and allies from invasion while insuring your own survival!**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Survive to the end of the Third Shinobi World War without Konohagakure or any of your allied nations being destroyed!  
REWARD  
+25000 EXP, +5000 Reputation with Konohagakure, +2500 Reputation with allied nations, War Veteran perk acquired.**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVES  
Survive with your entire squad**

?  
REWARD  
+5000 EXP, +1000 Reputation with your teammates and Jonin-sensei

?

 **FAILURE**

 **Death**

Well… _shit_. Hell there wasn't even an option decline the quest.

Silver lining was that I was on a team with Chika and Aoi, so, that's good I guess?

"[ **Observe** ]" I mumbled as I took another look at my teammate's stats.

 **Name:** Chika Yamanaka **  
Level:** 9  
 **EXP** : 2354/5500 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Genin (+25% EXP until level 25) **  
STATS  
HP - **255 **  
CP -** 456 **  
STR -** 17 **  
INT -** 24 **  
DEX -** 45 **  
VIT -** 15 **  
WIS -** 19 **  
LUK -** 10

[ **PERKS** ]  
 **Yamanaka** \- Has access to Yamanaka Hiden Jutsus, +15% EXP to Yamanaka Clan Techniques, +1 INT & DEX per level  
 **Nimble** \- +2 DEX per Level  
 **Poisoner** \- +25% potency to created poisons and poison based jutsus, +75% chance to inflict [ **Poison** ] status on targets

 **Name:** Aoi Nanase **  
Level:** 9  
 **EXP** : 1250/5500 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Genin (+25% EXP until level 25) **  
STATS  
HP - **380 **  
CP -** 338 **  
STR -** 20 **  
INT -** 26 **  
DEX -** 21 **  
VIT -** 19 **  
WIS -** 13 **  
LUK -** 10

[ **PERKS!** ]  
 **Civilian** \- +25% effectiveness to [ **Barter** ] skill  
 **Intelligent** \- +1 INT per level

I honestly was not sure how it related to others, but they were better than most in our class, turning to my sensei I triggered [ **Observe** ] once again.

 **Name:** Hasai Natto **  
Level:** ?  
 **EXP** : ?/? **  
Age:** 43 **  
Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Jonin-sensei (+25% Effectiveness when training [ **Genin** ]) **  
STATS  
HP - **? **  
CP -**? **  
STR -**? **  
INT -**? **  
DEX -**? **  
VIT -**? **  
WIS -** ? **  
LUK -**?

Huh, well… alright then, helpful that is.

"Alright, I know you all only just graduated, and early at that, but we have a job to do," Natto-senses declared as he stood before us outside of the Academy. "Bandits are targeting our supply lines from the capital and we think they may have enemy shinobi helping them, you have two hours to gather your supplies and equipment, I will meet you at the main gate."

 **NEW QUEST!  
Bandits are encroaching upon Hi no Kuni's supply lines, eliminate them.**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Eliminate all of the Darkwood Bandits and any shinobi supporting them.**

 **REWARD  
+4500 EXP, +500 Rep with Konohagakure and Hi no Kuni, -1500 Rep with ?, +10,000 Ryo**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Kill 10 Bandits yourself  
Find out who is supporting the bandits  
Succeed without a loss on your team**

 **REWARD  
+1500 EXP and +10,000 Ryo per objective complete**

 **FAILURE  
Possibility of Death, -5000 Rep with Konohagakure**

 **Accept? Y/N**

Is it just me or does this seem way too high level for a bunch of genin? Still I accepted the Quest with a nod of my head. "I'll see you guys at the gate," I told my friends before channeling my chakra to my legs and sprinted off towards home to gather up my gear.

My mother was waiting for me at the front door, a tight look on her face as she looked me over. "Yuriko-chan," she breathed with a heavy sigh before suddenly pulling me into a tight hug. "Come back home, okay?"

A tight lump formed in my throat as I suddenly realized, this may be the last chance I have to speak to my family, and both my father and brother were off on the front lines, my mother to join them soon now that I graduated. "I will," I promised, hugging her tightly in return, she may not have been my _original_ mother, but she was my mother nonetheless.

"Okay… go and get ready, I have some rations ready for you to take with you," she told me, wiping away her tears before smiling at me. "And here, you may need this out there."

She held a pair scrolls out for me to take, as soon as my hand closed around it a box popped up.

 **[Mystical Palm] Jutsu scroll acquired  
REQUIREMENTS  
INT: 25+ WIS: 30+  
Learn? Y/N**

 **[Chakra Scalpel] Jutsu scroll acquired  
REQUIREMENTS  
DEX: 25+ WIS: 25+  
Learn? Y/N**

I blinked several times as I stared at the scroll before looking up at my mom who smiled at me. "I know," she whispered gently to me. "That you have some way of learning Justus from scrolls instantly. Your brother was the one to notice it, so go ahead, we won't tell anyone."

I could only stare in shock at my mom before wiping my eyes clear of the tears that began to well up at the unflinching _acceptance_ she showed to me. "Okay," was all I could say before I hit the accept button, the scroll vanishing from my grasp at the information filtered through my mind.

Holy _**HELL**_ was the [ **Mystical Palm** ] jutsu versatile! It wasn't just heal no, it was capable of inducing cell replication and could even induce _cancer_ if done a certain way.

"I know that look," my mother said knowingly. "It's not commonly known, outside of Iryonin, but yes, [ **Mystical Palm** ] is a _very_ dangerous technique, so be careful using it on your friends and only experiment with it on your enemies, alright?"

All I could do was nod dumbly in response, staring at my kind and gentle mother who was _encouraging_ me to experiment on our enemies, but… then again we were both shinobi.

"Right, I will," I promised after a moment of staring. "I'm going to go get my stuff now."

My mother smiled and nodded in response. "I hope, that when we see each other again, you can trust me with the secret you've been keeping," she said hopefully as I walked towards my room.

I paused in the hallway at her request. "I promise," I said finally, swallowing the lump that formed in my throat. "I will explain all of it."

"Thank you," my mom hugged me again from behind before patting my back. "Now go before I keep you here forever.

I quicker a grin over my shoulder at her. "Like I wouldn't drive you crazy within the first week."

"Far too true," my mother sighed dramatically as I entered my room.

"[ **Equipment** ]" I vocalized as I entered, not bothering to lower my voice, my mother knew after all, prompting a box to pop up before me with an image of me in the centre of it before I began to load the gear my brother had gotten for me as an early graduation gift before he left for the front lines again, fully aware do the fact that my mother was watching me from the door as my gear appeared on my body.

 **EQUIPMENT**

 **Total DEF - 10**

 **Head - [Konoha Hitai-ate: Basic Style w/t blue cloth]** \- The Hitai-ate of Konohagakure, bears a spiralled leaf to declare your allegiance. +25% Rep gains from Quests originating in Hi no Kuni, allows you access to Konohagakure exclusive quests - **DURABILITY 100/100**

 **Face** \- [ **Lower Face Mask - Chakra Cloth - Black** ] - a special face mask with chakra receptive threads woven into the material, allowing the wearer to use fire breathing Justus without igniting the mask. +1 DEF, -50% chance for hostile shinobi to recognize you - **DURABILITY 100/100**

 **Neck -** Empty

 **Left shoulder -** Empty

 **Right shoulder** \- Empty

 **Right arm** \- [ **Forearm Protector - Dark Grey** ] - Standard Issue forearm protector. +2 DEF - **DURABILITY 100/100**

 **Left arm -** [ **Forearm Protector - Dark Grey** ] - Standard Issue forearm protector. +2 DEF - **DURABILITY 100/100**

 **Hands** \- [ **Fingerless Reinforced Gloves - Black** ] - Fingerless gloved with a metal plate sewed into the back. +1 DEF. **DURABILITY 100/100**

 **Torso -** [ **Longsleeve Turtleneck - Black** ] - standard long sleeve shirt with a turtleneck to cover the neck - **DURABILITY 100/100**  
[ **Standard Issue Chestplate - Dark Grey** ] - Standard Chestplate used by those looking for a little extra protection. +5 DEF - **DURABILITY 100/100**

 **Waist -** [ **Equipment Pouch** ] - standard issue pouch for all shinobi, has several storage seals sewn inside for extra storage.  
 **Currently stored  
** 50 [ **Standard Issue Kunai** ] - standard issue kunai used by all shinobi everywhere as an all purpose tool - 10-25 Slashing damage  
[ **Medical Supplies** ]  
30 Days worth of rations

 **Legs - [Standard Issue Combat Pants - Navy Blue]** \- Standard issued combat pants used by the majority of Konoha's shinobi forces, resistant to cuts, tears and burns. **DURABILITY 100/100**

 **Left thigh - [Shuriken Holster]** \- Standard issued shuriken holster - Holds 50 [ **Standard Issue Shuriken** ] - 10-20 slashing damage

 **Right thigh - [Shuriken Holster]** \- Standard issued shuriken holster - Holds 50 [ **Standard Issue Shuriken** ] - 10-20 slashing damage

 **Feet** \- [ **Standard Issue Open Toed Shinobi Shoes** ] - Footwear of choice for shinobi. **DURABILITY 100/100**

As soon as I equipped the gear, I bent over and began wrapping the ends of my pants around my ankles to ensure I didn't trip over the hem of my pants. That finished I grabbed the gift my father had given me and ran a quick [ **Observe** ] on it.

[ **Custom Made Kodachi** ](Guardian) - A Kodachi forged from chakra receptive metals named and gifted to you by your father, you are capable of using the skill [ **Chakra Flow** ] with this sword. 75-100 slashing damage. **DURABILITY 2500/2500**

I clipped it in place on my back, making a few testing draws to make sure it was good and not to cumbersome to draw in its position.

Once I made sure it was good I let out a deep breath and turned to the door to see my mother there with a few boxed lunches in her hands. "I'm heading out now," I told her quietly as I accepted the lunches and placed them in a seal in my equipment pouch.

"I look forward to when I can see you again," she sighed gently, placing a gentle kiss on my head. "Watch your teammates backs and listen to your senses, okay?"

"I will," I promised solemnly. "See you again soon!"

I gave her one more quick hug before dashing out the door, wiping my glistening eyes off on my sleeve as I rushed towards the gate for my mission.

* * *

" _Are you seeing anything out of the ordinary, Uchiha?_ " My sensei's voice crackled over the radio into my ear quietly.

I lowered my binoculars as I pressed a hand to the throat mike I was wearing ( _Seriously, these guys basically have CODEXes but no telephones? Seriously?_ ) while mentally cursing my lack of Sharingan. Being able to see Chakra would be _seriously_ helpful right now.

"Nothing on my end," she reported, her voice even less than a whisper as I spoke. "Their scheduled guard rotation went off at the same time today."

" _Understood, Yamanaka is on her was to switch out with you,_ " he replied. " _Codeword is Sanguine._ "

"Understood, sanguine," I replied, mentally cross checking my mental 'code phrase' manual. "I'll give my detailed report when I return."

My sensei was an _incredibly_ paranoid bastard. That entire conversation? It was _all_ in code, China-chan wasn't coming to relieve me at all as she was positioned in the north while sanguine is the codeword for 'unknown spotted on the eastern side'.

Subtly adjusting myself I was _very_ thankful that I have yet to go through puberty, because sitting here just watching and noting every little thing that was going on in the bandit camp below was difficult enough. I was _nowhere_ near ready to do it while on my period.

Just that thought alone was enough to send minute shudders down my spine as I raised my non-reflective binoculars to my eyes and scanned the eastern side of the camp, spotting the unknown my sensei reported on from his position on the opposite side of the camp from me.

The man was tall, standing at a massive 7'5" and was nothing but solid muscle and moved with a catlike grace, a hitai-ate on his forehead with a slashed Yugakure symbol told me was a missing ninja from Yugakure. Thankfully he wasn't Hidan - no way in _**hell**_ was I going to touch _that_ level of crazy this soon! Nor did he have any symbols of Jashin him, well… ones I couldn't _see_ anyways.

 _Hopefully_ this guy wasn't some kind of Jashinite then, even if he was weaker than Hidan, immortality is kinda a bitch to deal with.

Although… did Hidan's immortality extend towards something like cancer? I mulled the question over as I studied the bandit camp, idly noting that the shinobi was having a heated conversation with someone we tentatively identified as the bandit leader. Unfortunately I was too far, even with binoculars to accurately read their lips, so I noted down my best effort for sensei to look over and see if he can extrapolate.

"[Skills]," I murmured quietly, bringing up my skill list to my newest additions that I had tested out a bit on our travel time and when we stopped for the night.

 **Mystical Palm (Active)[Level 1 - 45.32%]** \- The standard Iryojutsu of medic shinobi everywhere, the [ **Mystical Palm** ] is one of the most versatile Iryojutsu in circulation, including the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu, it band heal your allies or damage your enemies with creative application, one medic nine was even noting saying 'I can heal my enemies to death' - **Healing** \- 50 HP/second, 25 CP/second. **Damage** \- varied depend on usage

 **Chakra Scalpel (Active)[Level 1 - 34.56%]** \- A standard jutsu learned by both the medical profession and the interrogators, this jutsu is capable of cutting solely what the user wishes to cut and nothing else, including targeted organs and leaving the skin intact. - Varied depending on usage

Now… I know that my life is a game right now, but I have to wonder, what is the house rules for damaging someone's heart? Because a jutsu like this, if the heart was targeted, would cause near instant death one would need someone like Tsunade on hand to save them from.

Well, guess I'll be getting a chance to test that theory when we attack the 40+ bandit camp tomorrow.

Looking down at the sole shinobi we had eyes on, I brought up my binoculars. "[ **Observe** ]" I murmured, trying to see if the range was set, or could be enhanced by my binoculars.

 **Target out of range**

No, they did not, damn.

Letting out an inaudible sigh I settled myself in for a long wait.

It was finally time, sensei had given us all the signal to start our approach as dusk fell, about a half hour before the sentries changed their shift. This was when they were at their most inattentive, rather than thinking about their perimeter, they were focused on either getting drunk around th fire, or heading to their bed.

I kept my breathes quiet as I slowly approached my unaware target, subtly adjusting the grip on my kunai as I crept in close. Once I was in range, I leapt up, wrapping my hand around h a mouth and gabbed my kunai twice like we were taught in the academy.

The first strike hit him in the larynx, removing his ability to make any noise beyond gurgling and my second strike hit him in the temple, the man going slack as he crumpled back into my, I was barely able to suppress my yelp of surprise at the dead weight of a thirty something year old man slumped on top of my seven year old girl body, thankfully I had my Chakra reinforcing my muscles allowing me to quietly set him on the ground my eyes catching a pop up.

 **Sneak Attack critical! Instant kill!**

 **+437 EXP, +500 Ryo gained, [Yew Bow] and 10 [Wooden Arrows] looted and stored in [Inventory].**

I… just killed a man.

Oh… _**fuck**_.

* * *

 **CHAPTER END!**

 **AN: You mad at the cliffhanger?**


	3. Chapter 3: First Kill

It was difficult keeping myself from vomiting as I stared at the blood staining my hands, I knew my eyes were wide at this point as they shook.

Holy _**fuck**_ I just killed someone!

" _Uchiha, you okay?_ " my sensei's voice broke through my panic attack before it could settle in.

Swallowing tightly I replied. "First sentry down, sensei," I announced, marvelling at how calm I sounded. "Moving on."

" _Understood._ "

Taking a deep breath I saw the notification of [ **Gamer's Mind** ] activating before I dismissed the window and focused on my mission. ' _My team is counting on me,_ ' I told myself mentally as I kept moving silently, a sudden clarity of the surroundings catching my attention as I moved.

It was… weird, I just _knew_ where exactly _everything_ was going to be, the falling leaves, the lone squirrel running up a tree. It wasn't really a 'slow-motion' effect, just… a supernatural awareness of all the things I could see.

The second bandit sentry I was to eliminate came into view as I moved, I could see the vague outline of chakra surrounding him, gathering around his body ( _his chakra_ ). My hands flashed through a set of seals before chakra alighted my hands.

I leapt, my hands reaching out for the bandit as something alerted him to my presence, he turned, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of me, but was too late to do anything as my hand slammed into his forehead, channeling my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] directly not only into his brain leaving his skin and bone untouched, destroying his brain as blood began to pour from his nose, eyes and ears.

At that moment a new window popped up before me.

 **Sneak Attack critical! Instant kill!  
You killed a Darkwood Bandit  
+437 EXP, +500 Ryo gained  
[Iron Spear] looted and stored in [Inventory].**

Underneath that was another window that I didn't notice in my distraction from my first kill.

 **You have awakened your Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan at Stage Two from the stress of your first kill and your resolve to protect your teammates**

 **Sharingan Stage 2 (Active/Passive)[Level 10 - 0.00%]** \- 25 CP/second when used by non Uchiha, 5 CP/second when used by an Uchiha. +10% DEX when active, can learn opponent's jutsu by watching them form their hand seals - cannot learn elemental kekkei genkai or hiden jutsus. Give supernatural awareness and slight predictive abilities of everything within normal eyesight.

Huh… so that's why everything was so clear to me. Shaking my head I dismissed the windows and focused on my mission.

My two targets were taken out and I was now to attack the camp directly with ninjutsu to cause as much chaos as I could to cover my teammate's approach.

Moving upwards in one of the taller trees I breached the top of it so I was looking down on the camp and formed the five seals I needed for the [ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ] .

Once the seals were completed I inhaled, my chest swelling with the air as I kneaded the fire natured chakra into the desired shape before exhaling, releasing a single massive fireball directly into a group of tents near the center of the camp.

 **Critical Sneak Attack!  
You killed five Darkwood Bandits  
+2,187 EXP, +2500 Ryo  
2x [Iron Katana], 2x [Yew Bow], 20 [Wooden Arrows] and [Iron Spear] looted and stored in the Inventory!**

 **You have gained a level!**

I steadfastly ignored the panicked screams as I formed the seals again and released another fireball on the opposite side of the camp.

 **Critical Sneak Attack!  
You skilled four Darkwood Bandits  
+1750 EXP, +2000 Ryo  
2x [Iron Katana] and 2x [Iron Spear] looted and stored in the Inventory!**

Before I could repeat the action, my sharingan alerted me to fast moving projectiles, prompting me to jump from my perch, five shuriken narrowly missing my head, actually cutting some of the stray strands of hair as the missing ninja we spotted earlier came charging at me.

It was strange, I was barely able to predict his movements - apparently he was just slow enough for me to predict his movements properly - and I could tell he was stronger than me, the question was… _how_ much stronger?

Taking a gamble I dodge under one of his punches and roll behind him. "[ **Observe** ]" I vocalized in the quietest voice I could manage.

 **Name:** Tsukiyama Hayami **  
Level:** 19  
 **EXP** : 9903/10500 **  
Age:** 24  
 **Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Missing Ninja (+25% Reputation gains with criminal elements, -25% Reputation gains with lawful elements) **  
STATS  
HP -** 2,076 **  
CP -** 373 **  
STR -** 52 **  
INT -** 21 **  
DEX -** 38 **  
VIT -** 38 **  
WIS -** 13 **  
LUK -** 10

[ **PERKS** ]  
 **Cruel** \- -100% to Reputation gains, +25% effectiveness to [ **Torture** ] skills  
 **Taijutsu Specialist** \- +2 STR, +1 VIT per level, +50% EXP growth to taijutsu skills  
 **Traitor** \- -100% to reputation gains among loyal shinobi, has a bounty on their head

 _ **Fuck**_.

Ten levels higher and built like a fucking brick, I _cannot_ let this man hit me.

Thinking quickly I formed the seals for [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] to activate it on my off hand before drawing out my kodachi with my primary, channeling my chakra into the chakra receptive metal, a hazy blue aura surrounding it as it accepted the chakra. The brief lull in combat as he warily eyed my now glowing sword allowing me a moment to inspect him. He was easily 7'5" tall and still built like a brick that was all muscle, his hair was dark blue in color and cut close to his scalp with grey eyes that angrily glared at me from his square looking face. He was clad in a dark green rough looking gi-like uniform with the top held closed by a white belt and a pair of shin- and armguards for defensive gear.

 **You have created a new technique!**

 **[Chakra Flow] (Active) [Level 1 - 0.00%] -** +25 Damage, 20 CP/Second

Ignoring the box I charged forward as I slashed at him with my chakra infused kodachi, he caught the blade on one of his armguards. As the blade came into contact with his armguard I whipped my left hand around and ran the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] along the arm he blocked my sword with before kicking him in the chest to launch myself back as he shouted in pain, blood pouring from the cut my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] made in his arm, his hand now hanging limply as he clutched the injury.

In the corner of my eye the screen showing his status updated.

 **Name:** Tsukiyama Hayami **  
Level:** 19  
 **EXP** : 9903/10500 **  
Age:** 24  
 **Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Missing Ninja (+25% Reputation gains with criminal elements, -25% Reputation gains with lawful elements) **  
Status:** Bleeding (Medium: -50HP/Second), Immobile left hand

Well, that's helpful.

"Fucking Uchiha bitch!" Tsukiyama shouted angrily as he threw a punch with his uninjured arm at my head. Oh right, I'm in a fight to the death.

Reacting quickly I dodged his fist, allowing it to narrowly brush past my head as I surged forward to slash at him again.

Only instead of hitting him with my sword, I was drilled in the gut by his knee, spittle flying out of my mouth was thankfully caught by my mask as the force of the blow sent me flying back into a tree.

 **HP** : 311/529

Oh geezus, over 200 points of damage! Well no wonder it felt like a girder slammed into my stomach!

Letting out a cough I gulped in a lungful of air as I forced my body to move out of the way of his follow up attack, a kick that splintered the tree I had impacted against, removing enough of it that the entire tree came crashing down.

Oh sweet mother of _**fuck**_.

My fear must of shown in my eyes as Tsukiyama chuckled darkly as he stalked his way towards me. "Fucking little cunt, I am going to enjoy gouging those eyes out of your skull and selling them," he growled angrily at me.

Instead of speaking I grabbed a handful of shuriken with my free hand and flung them at the man before charging towards him.

 **[Chakra Scalpel] has gained a level!**

 **[Chakra Flow] has gained a level!**

He easily dodged the shuriken as he surged forward to meet my charge, his eyes glinting madly as he threw another kick at me. Predicting the movement with the sharingan I leapt off to the side, letting go of my kodachi and [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] to quickly form the five seals needed for the jutsu, moving faster than I realized I _could_ move I inhaled and released a steady stream of fire. "[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!"

The flames swept over the missing ninja as his leg was still extended from the kick, garnering a shout of pain from him before a white smoke was seen on the edges of my flames.

Seeing it my eyes widened as I cut off the flames and threw myself forward, a first clipping the back of my head enough to send me tumbling forward.

 **HP:** 256/529

Sweet merciful _god_ even a graze is damaging!

Rolling myself to my feet I was thankfully arms reach of my kodachi so I renewed the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] before picking up my Kodachi with [ **Chakra Flow** ] active and double checked my chakra.

 **CP** : 841/952

Alright, looks like my [ **Leaf Balancing** ] and [ **Tree Walking** ] chakra exercises were paying off with reducing the chakra costs.

Keeping a careful eye on Tsukiyama as he growled angrily at me I tried to come up with a plan, he seemed to be bleeding steadily and there were a couple of scorch marks on his rough gi-like clothing from when I tried to light him on fire.

And then, he locked eyes with my own.

Now, I have not trained very much with my sharingan, hell, I _just_ awoke it, but, I _knew_ it's abilities, including the fact that it could be used to hypnotize illusions with direct eye contact.

Now I had no training with this… but…

Channeling chakra into my eyes I focused and tried to convey a haziness into him as we each searched for an opening to attack.

A box appeared before me a couple of seconds later.

 **You have learned a new skill!**

 **[Sharingan: Genjutsu] (Active) [Level 1]** \- Lower levels are restricted to minor illusions while higher levels are able to induce a hypnotic state in their target

 **Your [Sharingan: Genjutsu] has gained a level!**

My moment of distraction was all my opponent needed to charge at me with a heavy punch that I managed to get out of the way of, his blow missing my a large margin even with my delayed reaction.

A new addition to his status confirmed my suspicion.

 **Name:** Tsukiyama Hayami **  
Level:** 19  
 **EXP** : 9903/10500 **  
Age:** 24  
 **Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Missing Ninja (+25% Reputation gains with criminal elements, -25% Reputation gains with lawful elements) **  
Status:** Bleeding (Medium: -50HP/Second), Immobile left hand, Illusion (Minor: Accuracy and Dodging reduced by 50%)

Damn that saved my life. Letting out a breath I dodged another follow up attack before swinging my chakra infused kodachi at his side with a heavy slash.

He brought his leg up quickly in response, catching it on his shinguard, a deep cut alighting the protective equipment as my sword ran across it. Spinning with my momentum I ducked under his kick from the leg he used to block my sword before running my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] against the thigh of his extended leg, severing one of his tendons.

 **[Chakra Scalpel] has gained a level!**

 **You have copied [Heavy Foot: Retaliatory Strike]!**

 **[Sharingan Stage 2] has leveled up**

A roar of pain erupted from his mouth as his leg was cut open from my jutsu, his leg coming down as he unintentionally put weight upon it, causing him to topple over. Seizing the opportunity I surged forward and stabbed my sword into the shoulder of his good arm, essentially pinning him to the ground as it dug into the ground beneath him.

It honestly must've looked like a David and Goliath story, a 4' even seven year old _just_ out of the Academy, straddling the chest of a _who_ knows what rank missing ninja who was bleeding out underneath me. While I wasn't able to see myself, from the look on his face as I loomed over him, it must of been a fairly grisly sight as I realized I had some kind of warm liquid on my face - most likely his blood - with glowing sharingan eyes as I stared unblinkingly down at him.

"Fucking… Uchiha… _bitch,_ " he managed to cough out as his HP dropped rapidly.

"Well, I am female, and an Uchiha," I replied coldly raising my glowing hand to strike the finishing blow. "So you're not completely wrong, I'm just not a dog like you are, goodbye."

Before he could even say a word I slashed my hand across his neck and removed his head from his body with frightening ease with the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ].

 **[Chakra Scalpel] has gained a level!**

 **[Chakra Flow] has gained a level!**

 **Tsukiyama Hayami killed!  
+1250 EXP gained, +15,000 Ryo(Bounty) gained  
[Heavy Foot] Taijutsu Scroll, [Dense Shinguards] and 25 [High Quality Shuriken] looted and stored in Inventory**

Fucking hell… I _chose_ this life. Panting I formed the seals for [ **Mystical Palm** ] and set about healing my own injuries as quickly as I could before turning to the burning camp and heading in to find and support my team.

The first one I found was Aoi-kun, the civilian boy was wide eyed as he dodged around a bandit's sword, blood coating his hands as he suddenly lunged in, striking the bandit three times with a punch to the throat, one to the temple and a final strike to the back of the neck. The bandit dropped to the ground bonelessly as three sickening cracks were heard.

 **You have copied [Three Strike: Single Target]!**

"Aoi-kun," I called out as I approached, calling up his stats with a quick [ **Observe.** ]

 **[Observe] has gained a level!**

 **Name:** Aoi Nanase **  
Level:** 9  
 **EXP** : 2500/5500 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Genin (+25% EXP until level 25) **  
STATS  
HP - **95/380 **  
CP -** 150/338 **  
STR -** 20 **  
INT -** 26 **  
DEX -** 21 **  
VIT -** 19 **  
WIS -** 13 **  
LUK -** 10

"Here, let me heal you," I told him as I quickly ran through the seals for [ **Mystical Palm** ] and placed them onto his back as I healed his damage.

"Yuriko-chan?" he blinked in realization as the healing chakra washed over him. "What happened to you?"

"Ran into a missing nin," I replied, ignoring the trickling of said ninja's blood across my face as I concentrated on healing my friend. "Where is Chika-chan and sensei?"

 **[Mystical Palm] has leveled up!**

"Other side of the camp, sensei encountered two more shinobi that weren't in sight when we were scouting the camp out," Aoi-kun answered in a shaky voice. "Sensei sent me to support you after you didn't attack again like planned."

I nodded in understanding as I finished healing him up. "Come on, they may need our help," I told him as I began moving to where the two were fighting. Aoi-kun hesitated a moment before following after me. ' _Probably in shock,_ ' I thought to myself before turning back ahead of me to watch where I was going.

Chika-chan was the next one found, the Yamanaka surrounded by a number of bodies that all had the clear signs of severe poisoning on them as she faced off a group of twenty of them, the girl looking thoroughly exhausted as she barely kept herself on her feet, a quick [ **Observe** ] told me that her chakra was running dangerously low and she had the [ **Exhausted** ] status on her.

Seeing my friend in trouble I quickly formed the seals for [ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ] and leapt into the air before releasing a stream of continuous fire down onto the men as my momentum carried me over them, several of them screaming in pain as they were caught in the flames.

 **You killed seven Darkwood Bandits  
+3059 EXP, +3500 Ryo  
5x [Iron Katanas], [Iron Spear] and [Steel Spear] looted and store in the Inventory**

 **You have leveled up!**

 **[Sharingan Stage 2] has leveled up**

I cut off the jutsu and flipped myself around to face them as I skidded across the ground, the bandits obviously unnerved by my fiery entrance and red glowing eyes, meeting the eyes of one of them I trigger [ **Sharingan: Genjutsu** ] with a heavy image of fear behind it.

"M-monster!" the man shouted in a panic, I had no idea what the man was seeing as he stared at me, but from the way blood fled from his face, it couldn't have been anything good as he stumbled back several steps. "G-get away from me!"

His panicking began to spread to his friends as he dropped his weapon and sprinted out of the camp, some of his fellows following his example as they followed him, the others were distracted enough by the panic for me and Aoi-kun to charge in and finish of the remaining five bandits with ease.

"Thank god you showed up, Yuriko-chan, Aoi-kun," Chika-chan panted as she slumped to the ground on her knees, letting me place my glowing hands on her back as I began to heal her with [ **Mystical Palm** ]. "I had no idea what I would've done if you hadn't shown up…"

 **[Mystical Palm] has leveled up!**

"Well, we did, and you're safe now," I replied as I healed her to max health before switching to [ **Relaxation** ] to restore her chakra reserves. "Where's sensei?"

"Here," a male voice grunted as sensei limped towards us. "Were you able to defeat the missing ninja that went after you?" he questioned me as he looked us over.

I nodded in response, finishing the [ **Relaxation** ] before moving onto sensei to begin healing his injuries, using the information that using [ **Mystical Palm** ] gave me on him rather than my [ **Observe** ]. "He's back there," I vocalized, jerking my head back the way me and Aoi-kun had come from. "Is that all of them?"

Sensei nodded in response as he let me heal his body. "Yeah, it is," he sighed in relief. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order, you just completed a high level B-ranked mission, it _was_ supposed to be a C-rank, but it looks like the information was off."

"Forgive me if I don't start cheering right now," Chika-chan snarked a bit as she sucked in lungfuls of air.

"You all did a fine job," sensei told us warmly, giving us a smile. "How are you all doing with your first kills?"

"I'm not thinking about it right now," I said through gritted teeth as I fought the urge to vomit. "But once I'm finished healing you, I'm going to be losing my lunch."

"Is… is it always like that?" Aoi-kun questioned in a shaky voice.

"Unfortunately, it will get easier," sensei explained with a heavy voice. "But, what you need to do is remember that you are killing people, too many get lost in the act of killing and if you let it, it will eventually break you."

The three of us listened to sensei as he told us about his own first kill and assured us, that so long as we remembered _why_ we killed, to protect our home, friends and comrades, then we wouldn't become monsters. Soon enough we were all healed, and I empty out my stomach of any of the contents still within it and we gathered what we could from the camp and headed off back towards Konoha.

We were bruised, bloody and haunted, but we were now a team, we were now a family.

* * *

"I see…" Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed as he closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sat behind his desk, the four of us arrayed in front of him at a parade rest as we gave him our report on the mission. "Yes, this would definitely have qualified as a B-ranked mission and not a C-ranked one. You all did splendidly in completing the mission, thank you, a shame you weren't able to capture any of them to see who was supporting them, but the threat is dealt with."

 **QUEST COMPLETED!**

 **Eliminated all of the Darkwood Bandits and the three shinobi supporting them.**

 **REWARD  
+4500 EXP, +500 Rep with Konohagakure and Hi no Kuni, -1500 Rep with ?, +10,000 Ryo**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Kill 10 Bandits yourself - Completed  
Find out who is supporting the bandits - Incomplete  
Succeed without a loss on your team - Completed**

 **REWARD  
+3000 EXP and +20,000 Ryo **

**SECRET OBJECTIVE  
Killed Tsukiyama Hayami**

 **REWARD  
+5000 EXP, +500 Rep with Konohagakure, +7,500 Ryo**

 **You have gained a level!**

 **You have gained a level!**

Well… damn, four levels on a single mission and freaking 60 grand earned. Although I wasn't completely sure how much 60 grand meant here, but hey, it's a big number at least, it has to mean _something_ right?

Once the Hokage dismissed us, sensei told us that we will be meeting up for another mission the day after tomorrow and that we were going to do some training tomorrow, and with that we said our goodbyes and headed home.

* * *

I was greeted by the district guards as I walked through, making small talk with them about my week long mission, the two of them telling me the rest of my family hadn't returned yet from their own respective missions before I continued my trek home.

Now, I used to live alone in my past life, but… the silence that greeted me was even more pronounced than I was used to as I walked through the silent house. Maybe it was because I had become so used to at the very least my mother's presence, maybe it was because there was a war going on, but the silence was oppressive as I entered the kitchen and simply stared at the table for several long minutes.

Shaking myself out of my stupor I instead focused on something else, I didn't realize it until when I killed my first enemy, but I had an [ **Inventory** ] system! "[ **Inventory** ]," I announced to the silent household with a screen popping up, showing me the loot I acquired from the mission.

Pressing on one of the marks for an [ **Iron Katana** ] I blinked as with a poof of white smoke it appeared in my hand, ready for use.

"[ **Observe** ]"

[ **Iron Katana** ] - a simple Iron Katana, made out of cheap Iron and found everywhere - +15 Slashing damage. **75/100 Durability**

Huh, well, I suppose I could sell them, or if I somehow pick up the blacksmithing skill I could melt them down for materials. I pressed the sword against the screen causing it to vanish in a plume of smoke before closing the screen all together. "[ **Status** ]" I had stat points to assign.

With twenty stat points to work with I carefully thought out my choices before increasing my chosen stats.

 **STATS  
HP - **625 **  
CP -** 1600  
 **STR -** 25 (27) **  
INT -** 40 **  
DEX -** 34 (37) **  
VIT -** 25 **  
WIS -** 40 **  
LUK -** 15

Looking over the stat changes once again I nodded in satisfaction before closing the screen. Feeling my stomach rumble I turned to the kitchen proper and set about making myself a meal.

* * *

 **Training Ground Eight  
+50% EXP gained while in this zone**

I was the last to arrive at the training ground the next day, looking over my two teammates I could see the same bags under there eyes that I knew were under my own, looks like none of us got a proper amount of sleep last night.

"Alright, now that Yuriko is here, we can start with the training," sensei announced as I came to a stop before him. "The mission gave me a good idea on what we're working with for your skills, but I also want to know if there was anything else you wished to develop."

"Well, I was hoping to work on senbon throwing," Chika-chan informed, raising her hand a bit. "They're more effective for delivering my poisons."

"I… ah… wanted to learn some genjutsu, I guess?" Aoi-kun said with a shrug. "I realized I'm kind of exposed when I'm trying to close the gap with my opponents."

Sensei turned to me with a raised eyebrow as I thought about my options before remembering the one perk I hadn't been taking advantage of yet. "I think I'd like to learn fuinjutsu," I admitted finally. "I just think it would be a good support skill along my with iryojutsu."

Sensei nodded in understanding. "Alright then, I think I can help you with all of that," he announced as he pulled out three items from his pouch, a package of senbon, a scroll on genjutsu and a scroll on fuinjutsu. "Now, the scrolls are only theory for the moment, I want you to study them and I will quiz you while we're on the road for tomorrow," he explained as Aoi-kun and I accepted the scrolls and Chika-chan accepted the senbon. "Chika, I will be showing you the proper form for throwing the senbon."

With that we started our training.

* * *

Our next mission wasn't as exciting as our first one, escorting a minor merchant to a town a couple of towns away with only two encounters with bandits. It did give us plenty of opportunity to test out our skills however as I learned how to make storage seals on my own, Aoi-kun learned a couple minor genjutsus and Chika-chan managed to get herself up to 65/100 with her senbon during the trip.

Once the merchant was secured in his new location and sensei acquired the payment, we were on our way back, not encountering a thing as we took to treetop travel, although we did pass a team of jonin on their way to the front lines, a few words were exchanged, but we quickly parted ways.

Soon, we fell into a routine for about a month, we would go out on a C-rank or a low danger B-rank, and when we returned we would spend some time training, developing our skill further before heading back out on another mission as time passed the nightmares from our first kills faded as we grew adjusted to the fact that we were staining our hands with blood, always remembering the fact we were doing so to protect our home and friends.

Today was supposed to be a training day, but… while the three of us genin trained, sensei was nowhere to be seen, until towards the end of our usual training period he showed up with a severe look on his face.

"Wrap up your training," he said in a tired sounding voice. "We're being deployed to the front line."

All three of us froze in response as we stared at our sensei in disbelief.

"What?" Aoi-kun questioned in shock, subtle shakes visible in his body as he stared at sensei.

"I can't say much, but an operation is coming up and they need every able body to participate, we're being sent because of our performance this past month," sensei explained. "Be at the gate by oh-five-hundred tomorrow morning, and be sure you bring enough for a least three month deployment."

The three of us exchanged nervous looks before nodding in understanding to sensei.

"The front lines… I heard some… bad things about them," Aoi-kun whispered as we headed for the shinobi market district to stock up on our supplies.

"It is," I whispered in confirmation, remembering the haunted looks on my families faces on the few occasions we were able to meet up. "But we will survive, we just need to watch each other's backs like always."

I tried to smile at my friends encouragingly, but it was forced, and they could see it.

"Yeah, we will," Chika-chan announced, sounding far more confident then I felt. "And when we get back, we'll celebrate, alright?"

"Y-yeah… that sounds good," Aoi-kun agreed as I nodded in support of the idea.

"Alright then, let's get our gear!" Chika-chan shouted as she ran towards our first store.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER**

 **AN: Wow… two in one day… and I had to rewrite the entire Tsukiyama fight section too! Something minor to note, I made a mistake with the modifiers to STR and DEX, the numbers in brackets (Like this), I ended up going by a larger amount than what it actually was… oops. But I fixed it, and I'm going to be making a lot of minor adjustments to how the 'UI' works, so please be patient as I refine it. Also I will be putting the new skills descriptions below here when new skills are acquired!**

 **Sharingan Stage 2 (Active/Passive)[Level 12 - 76.98%]** \- The so called 'HAX' power of the Naruto World, steal your enemy's jutsu by watching them make their hand seals and throw it back in their faces, plus it'll help you predict their moves and can even trap them in genjutsu while looking through enemy ocular based genjutsu, you can even 'see the future' by predicting the movements of everything in your eyesight have fun, but be warned, opponents with sufficient speed can overcome your predictive abilities!- 25 CP/second when used by non Uchiha, 5 CP/second when used by an Uchiha. +10% DEX when active, can learn opponent's jutsu by watching them form their hand seals, cannot learn elemental kekkei genkai or hiden jutsus.

 **[Sharingan: Genjutsu] (Active) [Level 2 - 32.76%]** \- An illusionary technique utilizing the sharingan as a medium, the [ **Sharingan: Genjutsu** ] allows the user to influence the target when they meet the user's eyes. - Lower levels are restricted to minor illusions while higher levels are able to induce a hypnotic state in their target.

 **[Chakra Flow: Neutral Chakra] (Active) [Level 3 - 43.91%]** \- a versatile technique used by many weapon wielding shinobi and samurai to enhanced their weapons in the field, different types of chakra can cause various effects, but neutral chakra simply enhances the damage and durability by a moderate amount **-** +25 Damage, +25% durability, 20 CP/Second.


	4. Chapter 4: Front Lines

The forward operating base that Yuriko and squad eight was sent to was a perfect representation of wartime bases, barely controlled chaos and bleak moral. Mud and blood mixed freely on the ground and walls, several of the fortifications were heavily damaged and even with all of that, the Konoha shinobi and the daimyo's samurai still moved through the base with grim determination.

"Squad eight reporting as ordered, Goryu-taicho," sensei announced as we came to rest in front of a middle aged man who was staring down at a table dominated by a map.

"Welcome to FOB Hachi," Goryu-taicho returned with a nod looking us over with a small frown. "Sorry, but I knew we were getting genin, but… them?"

While intellectually I knew he had every right to be concerned, I couldn't help but scowl a bit in response to being dismissed like that.

"They are young, yes, but they have proven themselves and they have already bloodied their hands," sensei replied in a calm voice.

"Best I could hope for in this situation I suppose," Goryo-taicho sighed as he rubbed his face, belatedly, I realized he had bags surrounding his dark blue eyes. "Alright, onto the briefing, you're here to take part in our counter offensive against the Iwas and Kumo forces across the No Man's Land and capture the Tensei Bridge, we do that and we control their primary point of ingress into Hi no Kuni."

Sensei studied the map intently for several seconds before nodding. "What is to be our role in the battle?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Your team will be apart of the second attack wave, you will be attached to Meiji company under Jonin Saiga," the commander replied easily.

"Understood, when does the attack begin?"

"Five hours from now," Horyu answered grimly. "I'm sorry I can't give your team more time to rest, but we need to push the element of surprise while we still can, and they _will_ notice the reinforcements sooner rather than later."

"Understood, we'll be ready," sensei replied, his face grim before turning to us with a nod, signaling us it was time to leave.

Following our sensei out of the command building we remained professionally quiet as we walked to one of the more secluded areas of the base. "Alright, I wish I could say you all are ready for this, in all honesty your aren't, not completely anyways," he admitted bluntly, the three of us exchanging looks with one another.

"Chances are high that one of us will die today, so," sensei sighed as he unsealed four cups and have one to each of us, keeping one to himself, before pouring a bit of sake into each cup. "I shouldn't b e doing this considering your ages, but… as your sensei I wanted to be able to share your first drink with you."

He held his cup out to us, the three of us hesitantly returning the gesture. "May each of you grow in splendid shinobi," he whispered gently to the three of us. "While we may march towards death, we shall not fear, for we are family and we march side by side as one."

Recognizing the cue we each spoke up. "Family," we chorus before our cups clinked together, and following our sensei's lead, we downed the alcohol.

And promptly be coughing as it burned our throats.

"And that's the non-alcoholic version too," sensei chuckled as he smiled at us warmly.

This… was a perfect representation of sensei, he was stern and foreboding, but underneath that he was a warm man who cared about our well being, he fussed over us when we were injured, made sure myself and China-chan were alright when our family was away on the front lines, taught Ali-kun those little tricks you only learn if your family were shinobi.

He was our sensei, and while we each had a father, he was also our father. He taught us how to be shinobi, he showed us what it meant to live for the village. He also showed us little things, like common plants that made excellent spices, little pranks to pull on your comrades to ease their tension.

It finally hit me, my sensei might die today.

I could feel my pulse accelerate at the realization hit me, this wasn't like going up against bandits or missing ninjas, this was going up against a properly air,ed and organized army. Sensei was jus the tip of the iceberg, Chika-chan and Aoi-kun both had an even greater chance of dying in the battle.

A hand on my head cut my rapidly approaching panic attack in its tracks as I looked up at the knowing expression on my sensei's face. "You Uchiha always hide it well… but your eyes are always the windows to your souls," he commented with a slight smirk. "Yes, we may die, but… even if we do, we continue to live on in the memories of the people we leave behind," he told me his hand soothing my thoughts as he simply allowed it to rest in my hair. "Better?"

"Yeah," I whispered, taking a deep, calming breath before nodding in confirmation. "I'm ready."

"Good," he replied, looking over each of us carefully before nodding. "Alright, let's meet up with the rest of our company."

* * *

 **PRIMARY QUEST ALERT!  
Battle for Tensei Bridge**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Capture the Iwagakure base on the opposite side of the bridge for Konohagakure.**

 **REWARD  
15,000 EXP, 20,000 Ryo, 5,000 Reputation with Konohagakure and allied nations, ?**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Capture the base with less than 40% losses for Konohagakure and allies  
Personally heal 250 soldiers  
Your team survives**

 **REWADS  
10,000 EXP per objective completed, 10,000 Ryo per objective completed**

 **Cannot turn down this Quest**

* * *

Once we met with the company commander we were assigned with the medics of our team, both because of my iryojutsu and as guards while one the actual battlefield.

"I have to say, Uchiha-san, with your current level of skills I would say you would be ready to pass the trade three medical exams with minor difficulty," the leader of the medical squad commented as we talked about my experience level with medical techniques. "I never learned [ **Mystical Palm** ] until I was a chunin at least."

A small grin of pride found its way into my face as we spoke. "I know the basics of being a medic in general, but what to the different grades?" I questioned curiously, my mother had been more focused on getting my Chakra control to a more acceptable level than explaining the differences between medical levels.

"Well, third grade medical ninja are the very basics, it means they know how to deal with minor training injuries, but not much outside of that, if you were to leave the shinobi corps you would be able to get a job as a nurse with it without having to go for schooling," Saya Michiru explained, brushing her stringy brown hair out of her face as she spoke. "Second grade are most common and are battlefield medics, they know how to triage and stabilize grievously injured people and would be welcomed with open arms in ER wards if they were to leave the shinobi corps. Finally the first grades are the full on surgeons and specialists, they could open their own hospital if they left without any issues whatsoever."

I nodded in understanding of the explanation. "That makes sense," I vocalized after a moment. "I think I'll go for the third grade examination when things settle down."

"If you want, I can issue a letter of recommendation that you skip to the second grade test if you perform well during your deployment," she offered with a slight smile. "I can guarantee you, by the end of your deployment here, you will have the experience needed for it."

Before I could respond, however, the squadron commander called out to us, the operation was beginning.

In movies these kinds of moments were always filled with heroic speeches and shouts of defiance or something, not so here, once the first wave left, silence reigned in the base while we all waited with baited breath, the distant sounds of combat heard.

"Second wave!" Goryo-taicho shouted loudly, giving us our signal to charge forward.

I activate my [ **Sharingan - Stage Two** ] as we charged forward, while I was a firm believer in it being a tool that shouldn't be depended on, I knew that I needed every advantage I could get to survive the coming battle.

It was the screams that hit us firsts, followed by the signs of clashing metal and crackling of lightning. "Medic!" a voice shouted out, the captain of the medical squad raising their hand and signalling their change in course to where a group of Takigakure ninja were protecting a group of downed shinobi.

The captain ran her eyes over the scene with an odd sense of calmness. "Squads two, three and four," she called out to our small company. "Continue on, triage only so the support teams can pull the injured out," she announced, and she must have had command with this group before because without a word of question the team split up into separate squads with a medic to each squad. "Uchiha-san, please assist me."

"Understood!" I replied as I quickly ran my eyes over the injured and moved to one who had a deep cut in his leg and began healing it, the medical captain stepped up to man who seemed to be more blood and flesh before she began healing him, my team joining the Taki ninjas in the perimeter.

I worked steadily as more injured were brought to us in a never ending stream of bodies, Saya-taicho working without pause as she continue to heal the more severely wounded shinobi and samurai, a few times taking a single look at a man and shaking her head in a negative, indicating he couldn't be saved. On my end, the injured being directed to me were decently well off and primarily needed the bleeding stopped before they were safe to be brought back to base or good enough to get back to fighting.

I lost count of how many pop ups I had gotten signalling a level gained in [ **Mystical Palm** ] while I worked, but I could see the resulting change as wounds became easier to close.

It was an hour into the battle that the defensive line for our triage area was broken through by a Kuni shinobi, his body sparking with electricity as he charged at Saya-taicho who was busy keeping a man alive.

I didn't think twice as I leapt to intercept him, my hands quickly forming the seals for the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu as I managed to slap my hand on one of his legs, severing his tendon and causing him to pitch forward onto the ground as his injured leg gave out on him. Before he could flip him onto his back or take any other action I was on him, pressing my chakra infused hand into his neck, severing the arteries on either side of his neck before place my hand against his chest, over his heart and using the [Chakra Scalpel] to destroy it, a small notification telling me he was dead popped up.

Sparing me a glance Saya-taicho nodded to me before turning back to the man she was working on, prompting me to do the same, a few of the soldiers around me staring wide eyed the fact that a seven year old, four foot even, child just took down a fully grown man in several seconds.

I on the other hand was sweating, a pulse of fear running down my spine, the _only_ reason I had managed to take the man out was because he was so focused on the better healer, if he had decided to go after me instead…

Shaking those thoughts off I turned back to my patient and kept working.

Soon after the third wave arrived, and I belatedly realized something. ' _It has only been an_ **hour** _since we left the base,_ ' I thought to myself as me and Saya-taicho were having our chakra replenished by the support shinobi in the third wave.

As soon as we were topped off, we were heading closer to the front lines, getting attacked several times as a few enemy shinobi managed to break through and attempted to take out the rear support of the fighters.

Two managed to get through to Saya-taicho and me, the medical captain showed that she didn't wear the Jonin flak vest for show as she quickly decimated her opponent in two moves before supporting me in my battle against a chunin. I couldn't help but stare at the unassuming medic who quirked a grin at me.

"Not all medics need the super strength of Tsunade-sama," she explained. "Most of us actually use a variant of the Hyuga Gentle fist that uses chakra scalpels instead of targeting tenketsu, it's not like we don't know where our opponents vital organs are without the byakugan."

Holy fuck, and shinobi willingly try to fuck with Konoha medical ninja. Fucking idiots.

When we entered the battlefield, we didn't set up a triage area this time, no, there was no room with all the fighting, instead we were battling against foreign shinobi, I was using my tried and true method of fighting, my Kodachi with [ **Chakra Flow** ] active in one hand and [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] in my other.

It was a style that was uniquely my own, I had realized when I had shown Hasai-sensei the way I had fought Tsukiyama and he had told me he couldn't remember _anyone_ mixing the two styles of fighting like that. So, taking that into consideration he did what he could to help me refine the style - me using it without having the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] active, and helped me develop the [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ] to make my style more effective.

It showed in the battle as shinobi focused on my burning kodachi, not noticing the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] until it was too late and my hand was pressed against them, either hitting their vital spots to kill them, or disabling them enough to easily kill them as I fought I ignored each of the popups that appeared before me, notifying me of my levelling skills, my actual level increasing, taijutsu and ninjutsu my eyes were stealing.

Although that last one wasn't completely being ignored as I turned some of the jutsus I learned on those that I stole it from, no wonder Kakashi did that, it was fun seeing their shocked faces when it happened. One thing that caught my attention, however, was Saya-taicho's fighting style, and the notification I got from watching it with my [ **Sharingan** ] watching it.

Whatever it was, I wasn't able to copy it, not completely anyways, a screen had popped up stating that I had to have [ **Intermediate Iryojutsu** ] and [ **Intermediate Gentle Fist** ] in order to copy… holy fuck… [ **Gentle Fist: Chakra Scalpel** ].

The fighting style was… fucking _terrifying_ , every time she even grazed someone they were dropping down and coughing blood violently, and if she tapped their heads, they dropped like their strings were cut as blood leaked from every opening on their head.

Okay… if this was my old world, [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] would probably be outright banned from use, here though? I'm surprised there weren't _more_ people using it.

Pulling my attention away from the medical captain, I turned my own efforts towards the enemy, dodging the swipe of a tanto wielded by what looked to be a Kumo chunin. "[ **Observe** ]" I barely vocalized as I looked at him.

 **Name:** Shiki Ihara **  
Level:** 22  
 **EXP** : 556/12,000 **  
Age:** 18  
 **Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Chunin (+25% Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP -** 1,540 **  
CP -** 724 **  
STR -** 45 **  
INT -** 26 **  
DEX -** 64 **  
VIT -** 32 **  
WIS -** 24 **  
LUK -** 20

 **PERKS  
Expert Knife Fighter** \- +50% effectiveness with [ **Knife** ] type weapons  
 **Chakra Flow Expert** \- +50% effectiveness with [ **Chakra Flow** ] techniques  
 **Agile** \- +2 DEX per level

Well… that would explain the electricity that was enveloping the tanto he was wielding as he charged at me again.

Mentally I was thanking my choice to be reborn as an Uchiha, I wasn't sure how I would've survived this fight without the use of the predictive abilities of the [ **Sharingan** ], seriously, my face was numb from all of the close calls I had with the edge of the lightning charged blade, even then it wasn't enough.

 **HP** : 400  
 **Status** : Numbed (Right arm, -50% effectiveness when using your right arm, chakra flow disrupted)

Fucking hell, the only thing keeping him wary right now was the chakra surrounding my left hand, obviously he had seen what I had done to his allies and was completely aware of what I was capable of with it.

Panting I lunged at him, clumsily swinging my kodachi at him as I swept my more response left hand low, hoping to blow out one of his knees caps only for him to simple lean out of the way of my sword and swing his knife down for my good arm.

Not wanting to risk it I pulled my hand away before he could remove it and leapt back to gain some distance. This… was bad situation… unlike Tsukiyama, this guy was smart enough not to give me any space as he charged forward, keeping close with me as we continued our deadly dance against one another.

He managed to score another two hits, dropping my health to under a 100 points and numbed my chest and left leg, completely disrupting my chakra flow and causing the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] to cut out.

Growling angrily I glared at the impassive chunin, had to hand it to him, he was rather professional about the whole thing, no insults, no mocking, just a quiet determination to kill me… although I have to admit, I didn't like that part.

Panting I tried to keep myself out of his reach as he kept his dogged pursuit up, all around us our allies were distracted with their own battles as I narrowly avoided death by a hairs breath.

All it took was one bad step with my numbed leg, and it was over… I… was going to die.

The [ **Sharingan** ] that had kept me alive up to that point was useless as I lay prone on the ground, Shiki Ihara standing above me with his tanto ready in his hand. I could feel the cold fear gripping my heart as I stared up at him, I was stronger than when I fought and defeated Tsukiyama who was near Shiki's level, but I was nowhere near as experienced as my opponent, and that had made all the difference as he systematically dodged my inexperienced strikes and wore me down.

He kneeled on my chest, my breath strangled at as his weight prevented my lungs from completely filling themselves as my arms were unable to gather enough strength to push him off me.

He raised his knife, I saw my mother's face as she laughed at some joke my father told her.

Time slowed as the knife lowered, I could see my team as they smiled at me as I arrived at our training ground.

The knife was about to spear my chest and enter my heart when suddenly, it and Shiki was… gone.

What?

A primal scream of rage was heard as I looked around and spotted a familiar person standing over me, Shiki tumbling back, blood spurting from his mouth.

"Keep the _**fuck**_ away from my sister," my brother coldly announced to the world as he stood over me, unarmed, but threatening, clad in a simple blue shirt with a large Uchiha fan dominating the back and a pair of black shinobi pants taped around the ankles. It was a statement I realized, as I stared at him, him not wearing any armor or flak vest, that's how confident he was that they wouldn't even be able to touch him.

My breath caught in my throat as I spotted his eyes, they were the characteristic red and black of the sharingan, but… rather than three comma like shapes circling around the pupil it was instead a solid black four pointed shuriken shape with a red iris in the center.

Holy fuck my brother had the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Shiki coughed out some blood as he got back to his feet, retaking his stance as he eyed my brother warily, seeing their ally's plight, two more Kumo chunin joined Shiki in facing off against Sakaki who looked wholly unconcerned with their presence.

"Nii...san," I managed to gasp out as I struggled to sit up and try and help him.

"It's alright, squirt," he replied easily, sparing me a quick glance and a smile. "Heal yourself up, I'll be finished here in a moment."

Credit where credit is due, the Kumo shinobi didn't react to my brother's statement in a visible manner, they simply surrounded my brother as he stepped forward to face them with an unhurried stride.

The Kumo chunin moved a one as they charged in to attack my brother with their weapons of choice, the other two wielding kodachi's of their own as they slashed at my brother.

Sakaki dodged all of them with frightening ease, he knew _exactly_ where each strike would be and how to avoid all of them with the same unhurried stride.

It was sudden when he struck, hell, if I didn't have my own sharingan active, I would have completely missed it when it happened as he slammed his fist into one of the newcomer's solar plex before countering a retaliatory strike from Shiki.

A sudden influx of chakra was seen as the third completed a set of seals.

 **Unable to copy [Light Release: White Burning Flare], Requires: [Light Release Kekkei Genkai]**

I opened my mouth to shout a warning to my brother, but… it was too late as a flash of light struck out instantly covering the distance, only, somehow, my brother wasn't there anymore.

He was behind the [ **Light Release** ] user, with blood streaming out of his left eye as he slammed a kunai into the man's head, killing him.

Wait… what? What the fuck did my brother just do?

The two Kumo shinobi struck out quickly, obviously as confused as I was about what happened, but forcing themselves to attack so they didn't give him any opening. Only, again, my brother simply _just wasn't there_. I didn't see any indication of any movement, one second he was there, the next he was behind the two completing a set of seals.

 **Unable to copy [Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song], requires [Fire Nature Manipulation (Level 50)]**

I could see why it would require so much when he released the technique, several dragon-head shaped fireballs shot out of his mouth consuming the two Kumo shinobi instantly, the pair not even able to scream before they were turned to ash.

"Holy shit…" I stated numbly as I stared at my brother.

"Language, squirt, don't want mom to hear you talking like that, do you?" he questioned with a chuckle.

I could only stare in fascination as his Mangekyou Sharingan changed back into the normal three tomoed sharingan as he wiped away the blood from his eye.

"Wait, let me see that," I said hurriedly as I held up my hand glowing with healing chakra only for him to stop me with a gentle shake of his head.

"It's no use, Yuriko-chan," he told me gently as he pushed my hands down. "All power comes with a cost, and the Mangekyou Sharingan has a great cost, the more we use it's power, the more we lose our eyesight."

I blinked several times, I already knew this, but at the same it, I wasn't _supposed_ to. "Is… is that how you got behind them?" I questioned as several things clicked at once.

Sakaki nodded. " **Koshintō** ," he said simply before patting my head. "Come on, we're still in a battle."

I blinked dumbly in response before nodding in agreement and getting to my feet, reclaiming my kodachi. "Let's go," I agreed before moving after my brother to reunite with my company.

* * *

Fighting beside my brother showed me just how far I had to go if I really wanted to make a difference in the world, there was no wasted movements as he flickered between the shinobi between us and the rest of my company, nobody even touching him, even without using his Mangekyou Sharingan's **Koshintō** ability - whatever _that_ did.

But even still, she didn't let her brother do all of the work alone as she darted around in the confusion caused by his presence with her [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ] and [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] active as she took full advantage of their distracted states, even if life seemed like a game, people die when their heart explodes.

Still, it was odd… I was seeing even more clearly than ever before since my brush with death, it didn't matter _how_ quick someone was moving, outside of a select few that were using a special jutsu, I was able to track all of their movements with ease as I countered any attacks directed at me.

 **[Sharingan - Stage Three] has leveled up!**

Oh… that would explain why pretty well. Apparently that brush with death was enough to supercharge the growth of my sharingan. I spotted a samurai, wearing the colors of the Kaminari no Kuni daimyo charge at me with his sword upraised.

Honestly, good thing these aren't the Tetsu no Kuni samurai, I thought to myself as I sidestepped him, my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] striking him three times as I bypassed his armor to destroy his heart and lungs before moving onto a chunin who was preparing a jutsu.

 **You have copied [Lightning Release: Thunderclap Arrow]**

Flashing quickly I mimicked his hand signs, using [ **Sharingan: Genjutsu** ] to slow him down before announcing his own technique. "[ **Lightning Release: Thunderclap Arrow!** ]!" I threw out the arrow shaped lightning jutsu impacting it directly into the chunin's chest, his eyes wide in shock as he stared at me.

Taking the advantage it presented me I closed the distance before slashing my burning kodachi across his neck and immolating his body.

"Yuriko-chan!" Chika-chan shouted as she spotted me and my brother working our way towards them. "We thought we had lost you!"

"Kumo chunin," I replied quickly grabbing a kunai with the hand powered by [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] and threw it at a Iwa ninja, idly noting how deeply the kunai cut into the man. "Nii-san helped me out, nii-san, meet my team, team meet nii-san."

Hasai-sensei snorted in response, rolling his eyes at me. "Good to have you with us, Sasaki-san," he greeted respectfully as we quickly fell into a loose formation around me as I began healing their minor injuries. "Are you good to be here?"

"I was assigned to support this area, Hasai-san" Sakaki replied with an easy grin. "Remember the combo we used at Shiorin Pass?"

Hasai-sensei snorted as he began molding chakra. "How could I forget," he replied as he flashed through a set of seals before slamming his hands together as a nearby leaf ninja threw up a signal flare for temporary retreat. "[ **Wind Release: Great Hurricane Breakthrough** ]!"

 **Unable to copy [Wind Release: Great Hurricane Breakthrough], requires [Wind Nature Manipulation (Level 75)]**

Beside him my brother also finished his seals. "[ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ]!"

 **Unable to copy[Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation], requires [Fire Nature Manipulation (Level 75)]**

What happened next could only be described as _hellfire_. I would not be surprised if the strength of the two B-ranked ninjutsus combined into a force that matched the power of the S-Ranked ninjutsus in the show.

The enemy lines crumbled pretty quickly after that, even as I hurriedly began to apply [ **Relaxation** ] to my brother and Hasai-sensei. "Wow… that… was something," Aoi-kun stated, looking utterly dumbfounded at the devastation, even with the chakra ceasing it's empowering, the flames still raged in the field, the onrushing allied forces steering well clear of it as a group of Taki ninja began using Water Release techniques to quench the flames.

"That… is what happens when you work as a team," Sakaki-nii stated with a grin.

Hasai-sensei chuckled a bit in response as he clapped my brother on the back. "Come, we still have a base to secure," he announced. "No rest for those with wicked hearts, eh, Sakaki-san?"

Sakaki snorted as he ruffled my hair, garnering a yelp from me. "Indeed, Hasai-san," he nodded as he stepped forward. "I'll follow your lead here."

Hasai nodded as we rejoined with the remaining members of our company, I noted with relief that Saya-taicho was fine, she looked like blood splashed on her, but fine nonetheless and began our trek to the enemy base.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER**

 **AN: So… any guesses on what Sakaki's Mangekyou Sharingan's abilities are? SeerKing, unfortunately you are not allowed to participate since you helped me name it, but anyone else want to take a guess? Just a heads up, the Right eye follows the same principles of the left eye.**

 **In addition, another thanks goes out to SeerKing, he's been a huge help with some of the aspects of the fic, so… thank you, might as well assume that** _ **every**_ **chapter has some kind of thanks going out to him.**

* * *

 **[Fire Release: Chakra Flow] (Active)[Level 1- 100(MAX)]** \- Chakra Flow using Fire Natured Chakra, causes the weapon to be enveloped by flames, higher levels allow for greater manipulation of said flames - +50 - 250 fire damage, 50% chance of applying [ **Burning** ] status to target

 **[Gentle Fist: Chakra Scalpel] (Active/ Passive)[Level 1-100(MAX)]** \- A taijutsu style created by Konohagakure medical ninja in conjunction with the Hyuga Clan, it uses the basis of the Hyuga Gentle First taijutsu style and incorperates the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] into it, allowing for the medics to damage their target's organs without the use of a byakugan - Internal Damage on contact, [ **Bleeding** ] and [ **Organ Damage** ] status effect applied, severity scales with level

 **Sharingan Stage 3 (Active/Passive)[Level 50 - 100]** \- The so called 'HAX' power of the Naruto World, steal your enemy's jutsu by watching them make their hand seals and throw it back in their faces, plus it'll help you predict their moves and can even trap them in genjutsu while looking through enemy ocular based genjutsu, you can even 'see the future' by predicting the movements of everything in your eyesight have fun, but be warned, opponents with sufficient speed can overcome your predictive abilities!- 25 CP/second when used by non Uchiha, 5 CP/second when used by an Uchiha. +50-100% DEX when active, can learn opponent's jutsu by watching them form their hand seals, cannot learn elemental kekkei genkai or hiden jutsus.


	5. Chapter 5: Assault on Tensei Bridge Base

While we had managed to break the Kumo/Iwa defensive line out in the field, trying to take their base that was on the other side of an incredibly deep gorge - one that went along for miles and we couldn't wall walk down without leaving ourselves vulnerable - was an incredibly daunting task, but, for the time being we celebrated our small victory with some smiles and back clapping as we dug ourselves in across from the base, out of range of any attacks they could launch from safety within the base.

I let out a groan of relief as I sagged to the ground between my brother and Chika-chan, the Yamanaka herself letting out a sigh of relief of her own as we began pulling out our rations. "You all did good today," Hasai-sensei said across from us, slowly nudging a small fire to life to warm us as the sun began to drop into the horizon. "Rest up, I'm afraid it won't be getting any easier from this point on."

The three of us nodded in understanding as I began to lean into my brother, the older Uchiha accepting it as he placed an arm around my shoulder comfortingly. "Thank you for showing up," I whispered quietly to him.

"Of course," he replied as he looked down to me, his onyx colored eyes warm. "You're my precious little sister, I'll always be there to back you up."

I couldn't help the smile that came onto my face as I enjoyed the warmth of his body. "That technique you used… how did you do it?" I questioned in confusion. "I… I couldn't even track your movements."

My brother hummed a bit in response, looking over to Chika-chan and Aoi-kun, both of whom were now fast asleep and turned his gaze to Hasai-sensei who got the message my brother seemed to send him and excused himself. "Because technically, I'm not really moving, in the conventional sense anyways," he replied after a few moments of thought. "I'm teleporting within my visual range, which, includes reflections. Well, that's the power my left eye was granted, my right eye allows me to teleport _others_ within my visual range."

"Damn… that's… wow…" I couldn't help but stare at my brother in shock at the revelation of the abilities of the Mangekyou Sharingan, there were _so many_ goddamn different ways it could be used.

"I know, it was rather confusing when I first started using it, but I got the hang of it eventually," he admitted. "When I… got the Mangekyou, I was given instinctual knowledge on _what_ it can do, just not how to apply it to my way of fighting," he shrugged again. "Nothing that training can't fix, so… what about _your_ power?"

I paused for a moment as I tried to think of what to say. "Do you… remember that game we played together before you were promoted to jonin?" I questioned, pulling the memories of my five year old self up. "The RPG one where you could build you character how you wanted?" At his nod I swallowed tightly. "Well… somehow I have powers like that," I said finally, actually… "Um… invite Sakaki Uchiha to party."

My brother raised an eyebrow at my unusual phrase before a screen suddenly popped up before him.

 **Yuriko Uchiha has invited you to her Party.  
Accept? Y/N**

"This… is not a genjutsu," he commented idly as he reached up and pressed the ' **Y** ' to accept the invite. "Now what?"

"Say status," I told him, prompting him to do so and blink again as a new window popped up.

 **Name:** Sakaki Uchiha **  
Level:** 53  
 **EXP** : 13,587/28,500 **  
Age:** 21  
 **Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Elite Jonin (+50% to all stats, +25% to all Ryo rewards for completed missions) **  
STATS  
HP -** 4825 **  
CP -** 17,200 **  
STR -** 75 (112) **  
INT -** 125 (187) **  
DEX -** 108 (162) **  
VIT -** 63 (94) **  
WIS -** 116 (174) **  
LUK -** 20 (30)  
 **Ryo** \- 12,986,631

Holy crap big brother is _loaded_.

"Wow… so you somehow have an ability that will allow you to basically quantify all of your 'stats' into numbers?" he questioned with an amazed look.

"Not just that, so long as I meet the requirements I can instantly learn a jutsu from a scroll, and I get things whenever I defeat someone," I replied as I finally started going through the assorted pop ups that appeared during the battle, thank god they stack on top of one another and go to the very edge of my vision when I'm busy.

My brother looked over and blinked as he suddenly realized that there were a number of pop ups in front of me. "Each time I do something or beat someone, I gain experience, whether it's the technique I'm practicing or just simply doing push ups, it all accumulates to something, whether it's a level up or a bonus stat point," I'm pretty sure I was rambling at this point, but my brother patiently sat there and listened to me as I rambled on. "Like today, with everything that happened, my power 'auto-looted' 500 standard shuriken, 100 standard kunai, numerous other odds and end, five jutsu scrolls and about… 25,000 in Ryo."

"That is… a terrifying ability," he said finally. "And what happens when you 'level up'?"

"Well… for techniques it effect increases, it's basically a milestone for my mastery over the jutsu, but in general, I grow stronger as I gain 5 points to put into any stat I want, along with a bonus stat to my WIS and DEX and +50 to my chakra pool because of my Uchiha heritage."

"The potential for this ability… is staggering," my brother said after several seconds of silence. "So.. how much experience did you get today."

"Let's see… 25 individuals defeated, eight shinobi, 17 Daimyo samurai," I mumbled under my breath as I went through the different pop ups adding together all the experience. "20,625 EXP altogether, or… three level ups. [ **Status** ]."

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 16  
 **EXP** : 1952/9000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Genin (+25% EXP until level 25) **  
STATS  
HP - **625 **  
CP -** 1600  
 **STR -** 25 (27) **  
INT -** 40 **  
DEX -** 34 (37) **  
VIT -** 25 **  
WIS -** 40 **  
LUK -** 15  
 **Ryo** \- 102,652  
 **Stat Points** : 15

I let my brother watch over my shoulder as I began to input my stat points, answering his occasional question about some of the minor things about my gamer powers as I did so.

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 16  
 **EXP** : 1952/9000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Genin (+25% EXP until level 25) **  
STATS  
HP - **900 **  
CP -** 1,902  
 **STR -** 30 (33) **  
INT -** 43 **  
DEX -** 34 (37) **  
VIT -** 30 **  
WIS -** 42 **  
LUK -** 15  
 **Ryo** \- 102,652

"So, you are looking at increasing your max chakra pool then as a priority?" he questioned me as he looked over my stats.

"Yeah, well… as a medic I need every bit of chakra I can get, especially since I'm using jutsus like [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] and [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ]," I explained, feeling my cheeks heat up as I tried to defend my choices. "I'm trying to not let my STR and VIT fall behind, and I do extra physical training in them for bonus points."

My brother nodded approvingly in response. "A good decision," he applauded me with a nod. "I can understand why you kept this hidden, if it had gotten out, there would definitely be a lot of contention over your power, so, we will help you keep it a secret."

I let out a small sigh of relief as I relaxed further into him as my eyes began to droop. "Thank you," I whispered in response, getting a chuckle and a pat on the back in response.

"Get some sleep, squirt," he advised me. "I'll keep watch."

I tried to say something, anything to him, only for an unintelligible murmur to escape my lips as I slumped further into him, settling into deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

It wasn't until three days later, that we made our first attempt on taking the base, it wasn't anything serious, a probing attack to test the defenses that resulted in twelve wounded and six dead. In return we learned they had archers in the two tower like objects on either side of the 'gate' for the base, as well as several ninjutsu specialists on the walls and _very_ powerful barrier seal protecting the gate.

Thankfully, the next day reinforcements arrived, bringing fresh troops, supplies and… Orochimaru-sama ( _Hey, show even mental respect to the guy who can end your life with a but a thought man!_ ).

I couldn't help but stare at the man who would become a monster as he strode up to the command tent that had been set up with many of the high ranking shinobi attending, one of which was my brother who cheerfully greeted the Snake Sannin who returned his greeting politely.

On the one hand, I was terrified, what if I somehow got his… _interest_ , some of Orochimaru-sama's experiments were truly monstrous, but on the other hand… he would be saving a _lot_ of lives with his power in this coming battle.

"So, what does it look like with the base?" Orochimaru-sama questioned as I managed to get close enough to overhear their conversation.

"Rough, archers in the towers aren't so bad, but they got some kind of chakra draining seal protecting them, any ninjutsu we send at them gets drained and explosive seals refuse to activate," Goryo-taicho explained with a heavy sigh. "The gate itself is protected by some kind of powerful barrier seal or ninjutsu, and we can't send a breaker at it because they have ninjutsu specialists on the walls."

"That… is troubling," Orochimaru-sama frowned as he stared at the map, suddenly, I was struck by just how _normal_ he looked in a standard jonin's uniform, and without that stupid butt bow thing. "Hmm, I wonder what your sister has to suggest, eh, Sakaki-san?"

I let out an involuntary 'eep' at being outed, it wasn't like nobody couldn't hear the conversation, there were no silencing seals set up and one of the tent walls were missing to allow people to filter out. "S-sorry… Orochimaru-sama," I said nervously as I stepped out from behind the tent wall, my face beet red.

"Quite alright, Yuriko-chan was it?" the Snake Sannin questioned kindly, damn I never even knew he could _do_ that., all the same I nodded in response to his question. "Hm, tell me, with what you know of our collected abilities, how would _you_ suggest we attack the base?"

Goryo-taicho looked at Orochimaru-sama like he was crazy - he was, just not the kind of crazy he was thinking of - while my brother and a couple of the jonin repressed a chuckle.

"Umm..." I racked my brain for an answer as I thought about the abilities that I knew we had, one thought was of my brother's **Koshintō** , but he would've suggested it already if he thought it would do something, suddenly my brain jolted. "You summon large snakes, right?" I questioned the snake sannin who smiled and nodded in response, gesturing for me to go on. "Well, the biggest problem is that this bridge is the only way across for miles, and those other points are days away and already under siege… and since this way is heavily defend… why not make our own way across away from them?"

"Oh? And how would you suggest that…" Orochimaru-sama began before he paused, his brow furrowing in thought. "Wait… you're suggest using my summons as an improvised bridge to get across the gorge?"

I nodded in response. "Not right beside the base of course, and not all of us, make it look like we're going to be just simply holding the line here, and send a large enough group a few hours away before crossing over a night," I concluded.

"That… if your summons can do that… it could work," Goryo-taicho said, his eyes wide at the realization.

"Children often think outside of the boxes we adults trap ourselves in," the snake summoner agreed with a smile. "And yes, my summons are capable of such a task. As for the attack, I would like to request her to be apart of it."

I blinked.

Goryo-taicho blinked.

Sakaki-nii-san blinked.

Orochimaru-sama grinned.

Oh… _**wonderful**_.

* * *

A plan of attack was brought together in short order now that they had a path across the gorge and a team assembled.

It was Orochimaru-sama, Sakaki-nii-san, my sensei, Saya-taicho and a two dozen other elite jonins, of whom I was nearly certain the original Ino-Shika-Cho combo was amongst. I felt _really_ out of place amongst them. "Ah, Orochimaru-sama?" I called out to the man who was walking just ahead of me, he turned to me and smiled, gesturing for me to walk beside him. "If I may ask, why did you request for _me_ to come with you in the attack? I'm just a genin…"

The snake sannin smiled down at me indulgently, funny how tall someone can seem when you're only a meager 4'1", I was rather proud about that extra inch I gained. "Simple, you have great potential, like your brother," he answered, gesturing to my brother who was trading barbs with a Hyuga ( _Is that Hizashi?_ ) ahead of us. "And I believe this would be a great opportunity for you to gain valuable experience."

Uh-oh, does that mean he was going to try and kidnap me a couple of years down the road to put the curse seal on me? Dear _kami_ I hope not! "I see, thank you for the opportunity, Orochimaru-sama," I replied bowing slightly to him, earning a chuckle of amusement from the snake summoner.

"I look forward to seeing what you are capable of, Yuriko-chan," he told me in response before turning away as one of the jonin called out to him.

Suppressing a shiver I broke away from the snake sannin and joined my brother, drawing strength from his presence.

* * *

It was rather easy, getting across the gorge, hell, our sensors didn't even detect any scouts on the other side of the gorge as we ran across the back of one of Orochimaru-sama's snake summon as we began our rapid approach to the base, each of us were suppressing our chakra as much as we could as we ran. The only ones actively using any chakra at all were myself, Sakaki-nii-san and the two Hyuga with us, our doujutsu on the lookout for any sign of ambush or awareness of our presence.

We came to a stop on top of a cliff overlooking the base as we made our final preparations, while may of us would have _loved_ to just rain ninjutsu down upon them, we wanted to capture the base in relatively good condition so that we can use it as a base of operations for our incursions into Kumo's territory.

Once we all gave a sign of our readiness, Orochimaru-sama gave the signal to attack, our primary objective was to disable the archers and get the gate's open. I ran in beside Saya-taicho and another elite jonin named Izumi Saitoh, heading for our target, the closest archer tower.

Of course our approach was spotted as the watchmen began shouting their alerts and raising the alarm, but by the time they were scrambling for the walls on _their_ side of the bridge, it was too late, we had scaled the walls and were amongst them

I spotted Sakaki-nii-san teleport himself onto the far side of the base right in the middle of the panicking archers, quickly dispatching them with a kunai. His face expressionless as he went about his job. I was the first to enter our archer's nest, the eyes of the archer in front of me were wide as I vaulted in, shoving my kodachi into his throat as I activated the [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ], injecting the flames directly into his neck. The rest of them fell quickly to Saya-taicho and Saitoh-sempai before I sent the signal for our allies to begin their approach, by lighting the tower on fire.

Jumping away from the tower I spotted Orochimaru-sama locked in combat with half a dozen of what seemed to be Elite Jonin, and handling the men with ease as he systematically ripped them apart with a flurry of kenjutsu techniques.

 **You have copied [Eight Stroke Beheading]!**

I blinked in response before using that very skill I copied from Orochimaru-sama on a panicking Mizu chunin who quickly fell under my attacks, when I looked up again I spotted Orochimaru-sama grinning widely at me as he spat a glob of what at an enemy, blinding them.

Ah… wonder if he's made I managed to copy one of his techniques, please don't let it have garnered _more_ interest in me..

 **[Intermediate Kenjutsu] has maxed out!  
You may evolve [Intermediate Kenjutsu] to [Advanced Kenjutsu]  
Accept? Y/N  
WARNING: Once you have selected an Advanced Kenjutsu you are locked into that path of swordsmanship.**

Blinking I quickly hit the no button, I wanted to learn Uchiha Sword Style dammit! Not some basic run of the mill kenjutsu where I just swung my sword around!

I could feel a grin slip onto my face as I continued to fight, managing to hold my own in the battle where Elite jonin were everywhere, honestly I was keeping myself busy by taking out the 'small fries' for the jonin on my side. A shout brought my attention away from the snake sannin and to my new opponent, a rather… large chested red haired, dark skinned woman wearing a brief outfit consisting of an open short sleeveless red jacket that showed off the wrappings around her chest and a pair of short short as she charged at me.

"[ **Observe** ]" I murmured as I dodged her opening kick as she leapt into the air.

 **Name:** Nana Ijichi **  
Level:** 32  
 **EXP** : 8421/12,500 **  
Age:** 27  
 **Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Jonin (+50% to all reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP -** 800 **  
CP -** 5,050 **  
STR -** 28 **  
INT -** 75 **  
DEX -** 60 **  
VIT -** 25 **  
WIS -** 66 **  
LUK -** 19

 **PERKS**  
 **Water Ninjutsu Specialist** \- +25% effectiveness with Water Release ninjutsu  
 **Lightning Kick Taijutsu Specialist** \- +25% effectiveness with the Lightning Kick Taijutsu style  
 **Lightning Nature Manipulation Specialist** \- +25% effectiveness when manipulating the lightning natured element

A jonin, wonderful.

I leapt back to make some distance with us as I made one handed seals for the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ], turns out once you hit level 50 with a jutsu you can do the seal one handed with a 10% chance of failure, and it really wasn't much of a surprise I hit fifty for it during the skirmish a couple of days ago considering how constantly I've been using it since I acquired it, the bonus from [ **Medic Nin** ] certainly helped with that, huh… I just realized, am I encountering all these strong guys because of that very same perk?

Questions for later, now is the time to avoid the water dragon!

 **Unable to copy [Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet], requires [Water Nature Manipulation(Level 40)]**

Not now! I cancelled [ **Fire Release Chakra Flow** ] and started up [ **Chakra Flow: Neutral Chakra** ] in its place, if she was a water natured ninjutsu user, my flaming blade would be useless in this situation. Dammit that sucks, I love my flaming blade!

Throwing myself into a roll I managed to get myself out of the way of another kick before lashing my hand out towards her thigh.

"Ah-ah-ah~" the kunoichi sang as she danced out of my reach. "I've seen what that nasty little hand of yours does to people, I won't let you harm my beauty with such a dirty technique."

Growling I charged her, going on the offensive and hoping to push her back, only for her to evade each one of my strikes with ease, even when using the predictive abilities of my [ **Sharingan - Stage Three** ] I was unable to do more that a bare graze with my Kodachi and she paid far more attention to the hand using [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] than my sword. Dammit this is why the flaming sword works! People always pay attention to fire, but _no_ she had to be a water ninjutsu specialist!

The air suddenly left my lungs as my admittedly small lunch came flying out of my mouth, I suddenly realized her leg was buried in my gut as sparks of electricity arced off of her.

Oh… so that's what the [ **Lightning Nature Manipulation Specialist** ] is for… and why it's called [ **Lightning Kick** ].

My back impacted against the outer wall of the base as I coughed, trying to pull air into my lungs once again.

 **HP:** 476

Oh sweet merciful kamis ,I almost lost half my health with that attack! I quickly ran through the seals of [ **Mystical Palm** ] and struggled to my feet as I healed what I could.

A tsking sound made me cut my efforts short and throw myself out of the way shortly before a loud cracking sound was heard behind me. "This is why I don't like you Iryonin, you always try and heal up the damage that I do to you!" the kunoichi shouted in a pouting voice as she pulled her leg from where it was buried in the wall. "It's very rude I tell you!"

 **HP** : 646

"I'll show you rude, bitch," I panted as my eyes darted about for my kodachi, it had fell from my hand during my kick induced flight lesson. Since I couldn't see it at this moment I instead formed the seals for the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] and formed it in both hands before taking the Uchiha Interceptor Fist opening stance.

Growling the woman scowled at me. Now that I was aware of it I could see her chakra gathering in her legs, preparing for another strike. It was obvious, how superior she felt compared to me, a seven year old genin, so of course she wasn't going to take this seriously as she charged directly, using the exact same move that got me the first time.

It wasn't so this time as I spun out of the way, slapping my left hand into her abdomen, and pulsing the scalpel into her, internal bleed was far more dangerous than external after all.

Nana screamed in pain as she collapsed from her feet, clutching the side I stuck with the scalpel as she glared hatefully at me. "You little fucking _cunt_ ," she spat out hatefully as she dragged herself to her feet, throwing a brace of shuriken to keep me back and preventing me from taking advantage of it, throwing my own brace at her to get her moving, and speeding up the process of her internal bleed I checked her status again

 **Name:** Nana Ijichi **  
Level:** 32  
 **EXP** : 8421/12,500 **  
Status** : Internal Bleeding (Heavy - -75HP/Second)

Alright, that was better than nothing, my eyes flickered to my shuriken, the same glow as my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] had enveloped them when I had thrown the, but I didn't have time to think about it any further as Nana formed a new set of seals. I knew my sharingan eyes were spinning as they recorded each hand sign, my own moving up to mimick her almost instinctively.

Remembering Kakashi's trick against Zabuza I began to employ it against Nana, using [ **Sharingan: Genjutsu** ] to make see a small illusion of her over my shoulder forming the same seals.

"Wait.. what are you doing?" she whispered in confusion, her eyes widening as she saw the child before her mimic her perfectly.

"Looking into your future," I replied as I stared unblinkingly at her - thank god most Uchihas had a special genetic condition that kept our eyes moist. "And I see your death."

 **You have copied [Water Release: Shooting Water Spear]**

So distracted by the genjutsu she never even notices that she showed me the remaining seals for the ninjutsu.

"[ **Water Release: Shooting Water Spear** ]!" I shouted the name of her jutsu before she could realise I was tricking her as I blasted some of the nearby water at her in the shape of a spear.

 **CP:** 1,376

Damn, that took a lot out of me, does it cost more since my natural affinity is fire?

"Gah!" Nana screamed in pain as her own jutsu hit her in the face sending her toppling back. "You little cunt!" she screeched angrily as she quickly recovered her footing, a deep cut on the side of her face, as well as her own rage, marring her features. "You _dare_ cut perfection! I will kill you for that!"

She vanished with a sharp cracking sound as the ground under her crumpled from the force of her acceleration.

My eyes widened as I barely managed to trace her path in time to bring my left arm up to block the devastating kick she threw at me.

A loud crunching noise filled the air as her kick landed, I couldn't repress my scream of pain as the humerus bone broke from the attack, even with my chakra gathered and the small leap to the side I managed to get off reducing the impact of the blow.

 **HP:** 121

Which considering if I _didn't_ do all that, I wouldn't have survived is quite the feat I must say.

Letting my arm dangle uselessly I groaned as I slowly got to my feet.

Nana laughed cruelly in response. "Aw~ is the poor little baby hurt?" she questioned mockingly. "Do you want me to kiss it better?"

I musted up the strongest glare I could manage in response, my mind to clouded with pain to try and muter a [ **Sharingan: Genjutsu** ] at the moment.

Huh, I found my kodachi, it was sitting right beside me, the point of it buried in the ground.

But… I didn't have time to pull it out, so instead I again formed the seals for the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] one handed and took up a weak stance against her, getting derisive laughter from her in response.

"Oh, I am going to _enjoy_ parading your head around for all to see!" she screamed angrily as she charged at me, not even bothering with whatever technique it was that allowed her to make her blindingly fast strikes, toying with me as she slowly whittled my HP away.

 **HP:** 92

Dammit, my brother was busy fighting, I can't continue to rely on him!

I swiped weakly at her with the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ], the Kunoichi dodging it with a snort before slamming the palm of her hand into my chest.

 **HP:** 59

Dammit, I don't want to die, I want to keep on living, I want to make a difference for the better in this crapsack world.

I managed to keep myself from falling by grabbing the hilt of my kodachi.

I want to live to try and prevent the massacre.

My grip around the kodachi tightened as it began to glow slightly.

Nana laughed as she punched my face with a sharp crack sounding off the walls in response.

 **HP:** 23

Dying? Fuck that shit.

 **You have created a new technique! [Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel]**

[ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] **(Level 1 - 0.00%)** \- Internal Damage on contact, [ **Bleeding** ] and [ **Organ Damage** ] status effect applied, severity scales with level, selection of what organic target cut

I'm going to kill this bitch… and live, to give Naruto a friend.

"I WILL LIVE!" I shouted loudly, causing Nana to flinch back in surprise.

It gave me a moment, a moment was all I needed as my empowered kodachi was ripped from the ground, the now supernaturally sharp blade came whipped at Nana with all the strength I could muster at that moment.

The Kunoichi cried out in pain as my sword managed to cut across her chest lightly, but I new differently. [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] allowed me to cut _deeper_ with even the lightest of contact.

So I shredded the fucking bitch's lungs.

Blood sprayed from her mouth as disbelief filled her eyes at what just happened.

 **Name:** Nana Ijichi **  
Level:** 32  
 **EXP** : 8421/12,500 **  
Status** : Internal Bleeding (Severe - -100HP/Second), Organ Damage: Both Lungs (death in 30 seconds unless treated)

The woman collapsed to the ground, trying to draw in breath as she choked on blood and lack of oxygen. I stood over her, glowing sword in hand as I looked down at her contemplatively. "I'm better than you," I said finally as I raised my sword. "I won't let you suffer at the very least."

With those words I brought the sword down and cleaved her head from her body, ending her life.

 **You have defeated Nana Ijichi!  
+16,875 EXP and 12,000 Ryo (Bounty) gained, [Women's Crimson Chakra Jacket], 40 [Superior Quality Kunai] and [High Quality Kunoichi Sandals] looted and stored in inventory!**

 **You have gained a level!**

 **You have gained a level!**

 **[Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel] has gained a level!**

 **[Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel] has gained a level!**

My deed done, I fell back as exhaustion swept over me, distant sounding shout reaching my ears before a comforting warmth enveloped me.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER**

 **AN: Goddammit, how in the hell did I do two chapters a day twice in a row, seriously guys, don't expect this… this is an anomaly for me, anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the introduction of what is going to be Yuriko Uchiha's signature technique, the [Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel]! I actually initially created it in the fight with Tsukiyama, but then decided it was too soon for such a thing thanks to the advice of SeerKing and held off on it… UNTIL NOW! Seriously, let me know what you think, I am genuinely curious.**

* * *

 **[Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel] (Active) [Level 1 - 100(MAX) - 0.00%] -** An improvised technique combining the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu with the [ **Chakra Flow** ] technique, drastically increasing its cutting ability on organic materials as well as being able to choose what organic material is cut. Internal Damage on contact, [ **Bleeding** ] and [ **Organ Damage** ] status effect applied, severity scales with level, selection of what organic target cut. **Requirements:** [ **Chakra Scalpel** ]( **Level 40+** ), [ **Chakra Flow: Neutral Chakra** ]( **Level 20+** )

 **[Water Release: Shooting Water Spears] (Active)[Level 1-50]** \- User gathers water from a nearby source and shoots it at the enemy in the shape of a spear, speed and number of spears grows with the level - 50-250 Damage per spear, max 1-50 spears per use


	6. Chapter 6: Recovery

I am going to be completely honest with you, but, until today, at least I _think_ it was still 'today' I have never been truly unconscious, as well in the type type of unconscious where your brain decides enough is enough, I am pulling the plug.

Maybe that was comas? Never been in a coma either, so I can't say for sure.

But, for me, the first thing I remember after chopping the head off of that fucking bitch, was the smell of hospital, industrial grade disinfectant. The kind of stuff where you weren't sure if it wouldn't burn like acid if you got it on your skin and the _warning labels_ had warning labels.

The next thing I remember was a steady beeping sound that sounded off with every beat of my heart, ah, a heart monitor. I had, mistakenly, tried to open my eyes to take in my surroundings, and instantly regretted it as the light above me seared my eyes and stabbed directly into my brain.

A groan escaped my lips as my sense of touch slowly made itself known, although I could have waited on feeling the somewhat itchy blanket on top of me, too much starch on it. I could hear a murmur of vague voices as I attempted to open my eyes again, actually making decent progress with it as I managed to get them open despite the pain from the light.

Things were blurry for several moments before I managed to blink myself into focus so that I could properly see the room around me or more properly the window in front of me.

 **You have slept in a hospital bed! HP & CP Restored by 100%**

Yup, I was in a hospital room, that's for sure. The large window beside my bed showed me… Konoha?

"Ah, Uchiha-San, you are awake!" A feminine voice announced cheerfully, bringing my attention to the door for the room where a nurse with pastel blue hair and green eyes was standing signalling something to someone in the hallway. "Good afternoon, Michiru-sensed should be here shortly, she was quite insistent on being your primary physician when they brought you in."

"Ho…" I tried to question how long I was out only to rasp and cough as my dry mouth and throat protested in response.

"Here," the nurse said gently as she helped me into a sitting position for pouring me a glass of water and helping me drink it. "Try again now, dear."

"How long?" I questioned heard as my mind and thoughts slowly became more coherent.

"How long have you been out?" The nurse questioned for confirmation, getting a nod from me. "A week, you were brought back along with the more severely wounded shinobi from the front lines, you've been in the hospital for about four days now."

I stared at her for a moment, a week? I was unconscious for a kami damned _week!?_

"I'm sure you have questions, but you will have to wait for Michiru-sensei, she'll be able to answer all of them," the nurse assured me.

Feeling something strange… _down below_ I chanced a glance down before paling slightly as I saw a tube leading out from between my legs. Ah… a catheter… I am not going to think about it.

"Well, it's about time you woke up," a familiar voice stated dryly as Saya-Taicho stepped into the room, out of her jonin uniform and in an outfit that looked like a blend of a smock and a kimono strangely enough, her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and her silver coloured eyes glinting in amusement. "Go ahead and continue your round, Sachi-san, I've got it from here."

"Of course, Michiru-sensei," the nurse replied with a small bow of respect before stepping out of the room.

"How are you feeling, Yuriko-chan?" She questioned me with a raised eyebrow, taking my chart out from the foot of my bed and a pen from… _somewhere_.

"Ah… confused mostly," I admitted. "And… a little uncomfortable with a tube shoved inside of me."

Saya-taicho snorted at my frankness before shaking her head and making a note. "Once I finish my checkup, we can work on getting that out of you and walking a bit," she assured me. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Well, we were assaulting the enemy base on Tensei Bridge, we had successfully gained entry and we were in a pitched battle trying to open the gates, I had ended up fighting a… jonin I think it was?" I said, frowning a bit in thought before shaking my head. "A lot of it's a blur, but the last thing I remember was cutting that bitch's head off before falling unconscious."

Saya-taicho nodded in approval as she made several more notes in her clipboard. "That's better than what most do when first coming out of a week long nap," she informed me with a grin, getting a chuckle out of me. "Saw the ending to that little spat you had with her, especially the applying your chakra scalpel to a weapon, devastating result. Orochimaru was curious as to what you little improvised jutsu did and performed an autopsy and sent a report along, your 'little' cut mutilated the woman's lungs, hell, it would've taken someone on the level of Tsunade-sama to save her."

I stared wide eyed at Saya-taicho in response. "What?" I questioned in surprise.

Saya-taicho nodded in confirmation. "Hokage-sama has classified it as your personal jutsu for the time being," she explained to me, patting my leg. "Congrats, not many make their own jutsu before they hit their teen years," she said teasingly. "Anyways, your left humerus had been broken in half by the time I had gotten to you, along with severe bruising on a couple of your organs and cracked ribs," she listed. "And you managed to pick up a minor infection when you were fighting her as well along with giving yourself minor chakra exhaustion on top of that, all said and done, you were completely fucked over and lived to tell the tale."

I couldn't help but giggle at taicho's words, getting a grin from the woman. "So… how long am I trapped for?" I questioned as I looked around the room.

"Three days at the shortest," she told me after a moment. "You're fully healed, I just want to make sure you're mobile before sending you back out, and you'll be on medical leave for a month after that," she raised a hand to forestall my protest. "Hokage's orders, you're also going to be meeting a psychiatrist to go over your two near death experiences to make sure you are still mentally stable."

Taicho smiled indulgently as I let out a groan and slumped back into the bed with a pout on my face. "My team?" I questioned nervously.

"Alive and well," she assured with a smile. "Still on the front lines, they weren't injured during the mop up operation."

"So we captured the base then?" I asked for confirmation, getting a nod in confirmation.

Taicho chuckled as I yawned suddenly, unable to keep my eyes open. "Get some sleep, Yuriko-chan, you earned it."

Nodding blearily, too tired to argue, I slumped back against my bed and drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

Hospitals are boring as fuck when you are a patient, this is a universal fact accepted and agreed upon by _everyone_ , hell an Iwa shinobi would even agree with a Konoha shinobi on it!

That was why TVs had been first brought into the hospital rooms, to give the patients _something_ to distract themselves from their boredom. Unfortunately for this plan, daytime TV to a shinobi was boring as fuck.

Soap Operas like 'The Young and the Ninja' were terribly inaccurate and an insult to seduction specialist everywhere. 'Shinobi Stunts' a civilian show where other civilian pulls some stunts shinobi do in their everyday life? Good for a chuckle or two, but still boring.

Talk shows? Only put that on in front of a shinobi if you want to die in a horrible fashion. The way they insult the number of lives lost amongst the shinobi to protect _their_ home was an insult of the highest order.

Kids shows? Colourful, but dull, predictable and pandering. Fuck. That. Noise.

Thankfully I managed to find my little slice of television heaven in three places. Honest to god anime in the vein of One Piece and My Hero Academia, the news, and a channel _dedicated_ to ninja, as in you actually needed to channel chakra into the remote in order to get the channel to show up. Don't ask me how it works, but thank kami Saya-taicho showed me how to access it.

It generally ran shows that could be kinda compared to cooking shows in a way, only instead of cooking meals and cookies, we were creating deadly ninjutsu and insanity enduring illusions. Granted a lot of it was theory talk, but hey, it would keep the attention of shinobi and it was keeping _me_ busy as I took down notes.

I looked up as the door to my private room opened ( _Thank you clan privileges!_ ) and quickly shut the television off and sat up at attention as best as I could as the goddamn _Hokage_ strode into the room.

Take your Yondaime, take your Nidaime and take your goddamn Shodai and get them the fuck out of my way, to me, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the fucking goddamn golden standard of shinobi, he had no special clan Jutsu or techniques, no unique elemental manipulation, no overpowered special transformation. Just summoning, basic ninjutsu and his own mind and the man kicked _everyone's_ ass!

"Hokage-sama!" I greeted in surprise as he entered, smiling at me, he didn't look quite as old as he had in the anime, with less wrinkles and still had some colour in his hair.

"You may relax, Yuriko-chan," he assured me waving me down. "Don't worry about standing at attention when you are a patient in the hospital."

"Thank you Hokage-sama," I replied, yes I was blushing, this was Hiruzen mother fucking Sarutobi bitches, you'd be blushing too!

He chuckled a bit as he looked me over, glancing down at the notes with a knowing smile on his face, one that twitch further as he caught sight of the doodles I had made in the margins, hey I'm seven thank you very much! "It's good to see you are recovering well," he told me kindly causing my cheeks to heat up further. "I've been going over the reports on your progress and your performance at Tensei Bridge," I felt my entire body stiffen as I raised my head to look at him in shock.

"Yes… your progress is rather remarkable, I must say," he continued, nodding to himself as he grinned. "Which… is why I am going to be promoting you to chunin once you are cleared for duty."

At this point, I was pretty damn certain that my jaw was through the crust of the earth at this point as I stared at the Hokage in shock. "Pro… promote… _me_?" I managed to gasp out in question.

"Indeed," he confirmed with a chuckle. "Saya-san was the one who recommended it, and it was supported by both Goryo-san and Orochimaru-kun."

I swallowed tightly at the reminder of Orochimaru, as much as I wanted too, I couldn't say anything about his actions, I had no proof and it would cast more suspicion on me if I did. "And sensei, my team, what will happen with them?" I questioned.

"You will remain under Hasai-san's command for the remainder of the war, and from there you will continue to remain a team, although you will occasionally be pulled to participate in missions on an as needed basis," he explained to me. "It won't be made official until you are cleared for duty, but the paperwork is already finished and a flak jacket is being prepared for your size, of course it is up to you to wear it or not."

I nodded dumbly in response, acknowledging that I heard him. "I… thank you, Hokage-sama," I said finally after somewhat getting over my shock.

"Thank _you_ for your service, Chunin Uchiha," he replied with a smirk before he excused himself, leaving me alone in the room.

"Well… damn," I said aloud as I fully realized what just happened.

Maybe it was because of my shock, but at that moment, I remembered something. Where was my box declaring the completed mission.

It was at that time that my attention was brought to a little blinking light in the corner of my vision, it looked like a transparent scroll, and as soon as I focused my attention onto it, a new pop up appeared.

 **We have made a small update to your interface after noticing several small potentially dangerous errors for our users. Now, instead of a pop up potentially blocking your view of someone trying to stab you, we have delegated all pop ups notifications to the scroll that was blinking, when you focus your** _ **full**_ **attention onto the scroll it will bring up a list of notifications to peruse at your pleasure.**

 **Regards, Management**

Sure enough there was a list of notifications at least three 'pages' long.

Most of it was the notifications of those I killed and the loot I acquired from them, something worth selling or experimenting with I suppose. a quick tally showed me that I ended up acquiring 12,498 EXP and 59,600 Ryo from the ten chunin and eight samurai I had defeated.

Next up was the completion award for the quest.

 **PRIMARY QUEST Completed!  
Battle for Tensei Bridge**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Capture the Iwagakure base on the opposite side of the bridge for Konohagakure.**

 **REWARD  
18,750 EXP, 20,000 Ryo, 5,000 Reputation with Konohagakure and allied nations, field promotion to Chunin**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Capture the base with less than 40% losses for Konohagakure and allies - completed  
Personally heal 250 soldiers - completed  
Your team survives - completed**

 **REWADS  
12,500 EXP per objective completed, 10,000 Ryo per objective completed**

 **SECRET OBJECTIVE  
Found an alternative way to cross the gorge**

 **REWARD  
12,500 EXP, 8,000 Ryo**

68,750 EXP acquired from the mission alone… wow… that would explain the… _**eight**_ level up alerts!

Jesus mother of all the Kami! It was tempting to open up the page and start doling out my _**40**_ stat points, but I remained focused on sorting through the various alerts.

One in particular caught my interest.

 **People have begun to notice your abilities and have called you a genius, you have acquired the [Genius] perk!**

I blinked.

Fucking what?

Who in the nine unholy hells would call _me_ a genius? I mean seriously, i've been flying by the seat of my pants this entire time.

Letting out a groan I hit the little icon on the box to explain the perk.

 **[Genius] -** People have heard of your abilities and praise them for it, you stand near the top of the food chain with your skills, don't let it go to your head though - +1 INT per level (Applied retroactively) and you have a +25% EXP gain for all skills.

Alright, I won't complain about _that_ kind of bonus then I guess. I let out a groan as I slumped back into the bed. Yeah… I think at this point Orochimaru at the very least would be keeping an eye on me from here on out, how… troublesome.

Oh hey, Shikamaru's phrase!

Shaking my head I put those thoughts out of my mind for the moment and opened my status menu.

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 24  
 **EXP** : 1,577/13,000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Chunin (+25% to all Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP - **900 **  
CP -** 2,914  
 **STR -** 30 (33) **  
INT -** 67 **  
DEX -** 34 (37) **  
VIT -** 30 **  
WIS -** 42 **  
LUK -** 15  
 **Ryo** \- 232,252  
 **Stat points -** 40

Damn my new perk jumped my INT up big time, alright then, ten points to my WIS and twenty to my DEX, and the last ten split between STR and VIT.

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 24  
 **EXP** : 1,577/13,000 **  
Age:** 7 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Chunin (+25% to all Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP - **1,325 **  
CP -** 3,582  
 **STR -** 35 (38) **  
INT -** 67 **  
DEX -** 54 (59) **  
VIT -** 35 **  
WIS -** 52 **  
LUK -** 15  
 **Ryo** \- 232,252

Well, those _look_ like chunin stats, I suppose, shaking my head I let out a sigh. I'm a chunin now at seven years old. I honestly had no idea what to feel about that, it's a wartime promotion, so when the war was over it would come under review, but since Hokage-sama was the one to give it to me, it would likely stick.

Fuck it, it wasn't like I was going to be able to remain unseen forever, at least this way it would be a bit harder for him to try and abduct me because of the fact that I had people's attention for the time being.

So… I should take the time afforded to me by my medical leave to train up and start grinding out bonus stat points. Hm… I wonder, were there anything like dungeons for me to use as a training ground? Battle mobs for more experience and possibly loot?

Hm, speaking of loot. "[ **Inventory** ]," I vocalized, narrowing my eyes as I sorted through the assorted gear and items that I had acquired before coming across a specific pair of items

 **[Women's Crimson Chakra Jacket] -** A sleeveless jacket for women, it has seals sewn into it that increases the wearer's chakra control and allows the item to physically adjust itself to the wearer. -25% to Chakra costs. **Durability 100/100**

Alright, now that is pretty damn cool, hmm, alright I'll take a look at it later, now… the second item.

 **[High Quality Kunoichi Sandals] -** Heeled sandals used by kunoichi, these particular ones have small seals that support the user's elemental chakra control and allows the item to physically adjust itself to the wearer. +15% Effectiveness to any of the [ **Nature Chakra Control** ] skills. **Durability 100/100**

Heeled sandals? But the effect… goddammit… why was I reborn a girl? Well… no use crying about it now, I am one, and there would be _way_ too many questions if I tried to get a surgery to change my gender… if there even was such a thing in this world.

I looked around the hospital room for a minute before letting out a sigh and turning the TV back on, grinning as one of the local anime 'Tales of Chakra' started up, it was actually one of the interesting ones.

* * *

"Freedom!" I cheered happily as I signed the last of the discharge papers, getting a chuckle from Saya-taicho as I slapped the pen down, clad in a simple pair of shorts and t-shirt.

"It's not _that_ bad in here is it?" she questioned teasingly, her grin widening as I turned to glare at her.

"Yes," I replied. "The food sucks, most daytime TV sucks, the books here suck and you suck for making me stay here for 72 hours!" I was being childish, and I didn't care, I physically _**am**_ a child dammit!

Saya-taicho took it in good stride as she ruffled my hair, much to my vocal protest, before walking with me to the doors. "I'll be redeploying in a week to Kikyo Pass," she informed. "Mizu seems to be making a push for it."

I nodded, showing my understanding. "Be safe," stupid choice of words, but… I didn't know what else to say, Saya-taicho was older and more experienced than me, but all the same… I wanted her to be safe.

"No worries squirt, I'll be around to terrorize you when you end up in the hospital again," she assured, patting me on the back.

I rolled my eyes at her before impulsively hugging the older woman and headed out the door, briefly spotting a somewhat stupefied look on her face as I left the hospital.

Taking in a breath of fresh air I focused myself on my next task, heading home. Walking through the village was an… interesting experience, while normally most would recognize the clan symbol on my clothing, some of the shinobi recognized my face, one of them actually stopping me to thank me for saving his life during the battle in the field at Tensei bridge.

It was strange, being thanked for it, I only vaguely remember the man from the blur that was the battle that I spent the majority of healing, popping soldier pills to restore chakra, and healing again.

It was a relief when I was inside of the Uchiha compound, the guards greeting me cheerfully as I entered, making my way home. I came to a pause as I reached the front door. It… it has felt like ages since I've been here, and I could tell, no one has been here since I had left to enter the front lines.

Blinking back the few tears that had threatened to well up I pushed my way in, calling out a greeting to the empty house as I took off my sandals and entered the house proper. Once I was certain I was alone I opened up my inventory screen and pulled out the two items that had caught my interest, both were a deep red in color with a bit of a collar that fell a few inches short of my chin. The jacket itself was a short one was came down to just below my ribs and seemed to be designed to be left open considering I wasn't able to close it around my own flat chest.

Oh… I'm going to grow boobs aren't I?

And not thinking about it!

Strangely enough, the sandals were oddly… comfortable once they were sized to fit me, or maybe it was my DEX score that let me keep my balance as I tested moving around with them at increasing speeds in the back yard. Satisfied that they wouldn't affect my mobility I set them aside and put my old sandals in my inventory.

Picking up the jacket I looked it over curiously, with the seals on the inside of the jacket, the outside of it was fairly bare with no distinguishing marks on it. Making up my mind I quickly run into the room and stripped out of the clothing the hospital provided me with and started looking through my clothing for something else to wear.

Finally, I decided on a sleeveless black shirt with a dark blue skirt that fell to my knees, I was initially hesitant to wear skirts and the such like at first, but… they were in my wardrobe and at some point I would probably be _required_ to wear on a mission, so I decided to just man… well… _woman_ up and wear one. With a pair of biker shorts underneath of course.

Once I was dress I made a quick trip to the washroom to clean my face and run some damage control on my hair, normally I had kept around my neck in length, but, as a result of my early graduation I have had less time to run maintenance on it any more than brushing it out and pulling it into a ponytail.

Now that I was looking at it, however, as it fell down past my shoulder, I found myself actually… liking it longer and unbound. Once I finished brushing all of the tangles out of it I decided to leave my hair be and headed to the door slip on my new sandals, grabbing the jacket on the way out I made my way to my outfitter of choice.

It was a place my brother had brought me at one point and the shopkeeper, a downright _bear_ of a man that I was almost certain was broader that Jiraiya, and not with fat endeared himself to me with his jovial attitude and the jokes he liked to fire off. The place was called ' **Suguro's Shinobi Outfitters** ' and carried a lot of high quality items relatively cheaply.

"Welcome!" Suguro called out as I strode in, beaming broadly at me as he looked me over. "Well, if it isn't the medic that kept a quarter my customers alive!"

"What customers? You mean this place is a store?" I shot back quickly grinning as he gave me a stupefied look before bellowing out in laughter.

"Oh, I like you, Yuriko-chan, only you, your brother and that Obito kid are the only Uchiha's I've met with a sense of humor!" he said between his bouts of laughter, garnering a larger grin from me in return. "So, need to do some resupplying, kiddo? Or more stuff to sell."

"I might have some stuff for you later," I replied, Suguro was my preferred merchant for the loot that I acquired throughout my battles, thankfully the man didn't really ask questions about where I got them, just if I knew any details about them. "You do some customization work on clothing, right?"

"Well, not myself personally, my daughter is the one who does all the work," he informed with a shrug. "She isn't here at the moment, on a date with some… _boy_ ," I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped my lips at his growl. "But if you leave the order with me I can pass it along to her."

"That works," I concluded after a moment of thought and placed the jacket I was carrying onto the countertop. "I… acquired this jacket during my trip to Tensei Bridge," I explained as I opened it up to show the seals. "From what I can tell the seals help with the wearer chakra control… _somehow_ ," I continued, tracing the seals for him, the big man nodding, his eyes glinting intelligently. "And no, I am not selling it, I wanted to add the clan symbol onto the right side of the front here, I'm leaving the back open incase I find a symbol for myself."

"Ah, ye know me too well, lass," he told me with a chuckle. "Alright, I'll let her know what you want, you mind if I make a trace of the seal though? Even if I can only produce a lesser effect, it would be a big seller."

"Only if I get a copy of the trace," I shot back, grinning, it was shocking to learn, but this man was one of the _very_ few sealing experts the village had within it, one of three, including Minato and Jiraiya. "And… a ten percent discount on my next supply stock up?"

Suguro grumbled a bit as he narrowed his eyes at me before letting out an explosive sigh. "Fine," he relented far to dramatically to be real. "Drive me into poverty why don't you?"

I snorted in response. "Like that would break your poor wallet," I said teasingly. "Thanks alot, Suguro-san! I got more errands to run right now though."

"Alright, come back tomorrow, my daughter should have it ready by then!" he called out to me as I left the shop, waving to show I heard him.

My next stop was the training grounds, from what I could recall, the lower numbered ones, 1-20 were for team and genin training, but there were more, up to 50 if I wasn't mistaken, and the ones I was looking for, from their description as over populated with chakra beasts, were training fields 20-33, I wouldn't be surprised if those places were the 'dungeons' for me to use.

Sure enough a large screen floated before as I approached.

 **Welcome to Konohagakure Environmental Training Grounds! These are the Dungeons within Konohagakure, created in conjunction between Tobirama Senju and Madara Uchiha using ninjutsu and space/time seals, each field contains chakra mutated beasts to be fought, and while the danger is great, if one is strong enough, they can find items lost by other shinobi that you can claim as your own!**

 **Fields are only accessible to Chunin rank and above unless otherwise allowed**

 **YOU MAY ONLY ENTER ONE FIELD PER EVERY 24 HOUR PERIOD!**

 **20\. - Blackwood training grounds - Recommended Levels 20-25 - The Blackwood training ground doesn't look like much, but within the trees are squirrels who have been absorbing chakra from the very ground for decades, be warned, they may be small, but they are** _ **vicious**_ **, pray that you don't run afoul the Forest Boss.**

 **21\. Woebegone Swamp - Recommended Level 25-30 - The nesting place of a species of Falcons that take full advantage of their aerial advantage, using powerful Wind Release jutsus to buffet invaders as they are trapped on the ground. Take caution for the Boss does not take kindly to those who invade his lands**

 **22\. Dry Gulch Wasteland - Recommended Level 30-35 - Water is a very precious resource, this training ground will test how well you know this fact, but be warned, other creatures are thirsty too, and they learn how to survive by drinking blood.**

 **23\. Shattered Fields (Plains) - Recommended Level 35-40 - When this field had been created, something had went wrong and the very ground was split apart and separated, leaving over small trails to get between the 'islands'. Watch your step, for if you fall, there will be no return.**

 **24\. Takayama Mountain simulation Training Area - Recommended Level 40-45- Created to assist Konoha ninja in their training for battle in mountainous regions, much like the one Kumogakure inhabits, the beasts that roam this ground have become one with the elements that rage within**

I blinked in surprise as I stared at the box floating before me, no longer reading any more of the various training grounds, it'll take a while before I get to them anyways.

Huh, good thing I didn't come here earlier hoping to super grind myself. Wouldn't have been able to get in anyways.

Shaking my head I turned away for the time being, I wasn't planning to go in today, first off, I just got out of the hospital, so I needed to make sure my skills were up to snuff. Second, I had an appointment with a psychiatrist in an hour.

Won't _that_ be fun.

* * *

The Yamanaka clan had few major jobs in Konoha, first, they were our primary interrogators, hard to lie to someone who is _literally_ in your head. Second, they're our gardeners, doesn't seem so impressive, until you take into account that said 'gardens' carry some of the most poisonous and dangerous plants within the Elemental Nations. Third, they were the village's primary source of Psychiatrists to run psych evals on their shinobi population.

It was one such Yamanaka that I was meeting with in a modest office that had only a single window, and several dozen types of silencing seals engraved onto the walls, hey the information we have could be connected to psychosis thank you very much!

"Welcome, Yuiko-chan," my assigned psychiatrist, one Fuyuko Yamanaka greeted me cheerfully, her pupiless blue eyes warm and inviting as she kept her pale blond hair in a tight bun. "Please, take a seat and get comfortable, would you like something to drink?"

"Ah, green tea if you have it," I replied after sitting down on the normal couch across from Fuyuko-sensei. "Thank you."

The woman quirked her lips at me as she moved to the small kitchenette that already had a pot of hot water boiling, bringing it over she quickly prepared the tea for the two of us and set a full cup before me. "Now, this is just a basic psychological evaluation to ensure your mental stability for continued service as a Chunin, congratulations on that by the way," she told me, making my face heat up as I ducked my head in response.

"It's still kinda surprising," I admitted after a several moments. "I don't even know if I'm ready to be a chunin to be honest."

"That is absolutely normal," Fuyuko-sensei assured with a calming smile as I looked up. "Not many people _are_ completely sure they are ready for such a promotion in situations like this, is that going to stop you from living up to that promotion?"

"Of course not!" I shouted before freezing and blushing at the unintentional shout. "I mean… no, I will be doing everything I can to live up to the faith placed in me with this promotion."

Fuyuko-sensei chuckled a bit in amusement as she leaned back into her chair. "As I understand it, you had some close encounters during your most recent mission, why don't you tell me about those," she requested with a gentle and patient smile.

Taking a deep breath I braced myself for a long session.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**


	7. Chapter 7: War in a Forest

I sighed as I walked down the streets of Konohagakure, a new day had dawned and I was ready to start making progress in training.

The session with Fuyuko-sensei yesterday had gone fairly well in my own opinion, and hers as well from what I gathered. It had been emotionally draining, going over the two close calls I had with death during the battle for Tensei Bridge, re-experiencing the anger that I felt when I had fought the Jonin Nana, the grim realization when I was overwhelmed by the Chunin Shiki.

She had assured me that those feelings were completely normal and common, especially for Shinobi who never know what would happen next, and each mission could honestly be our last, whether it was from bad luck, accident, or our enemy was just plain better than us.

The rest of the meeting had been talking about the fact that I was experiencing a war before I was even a teen, I was pretty sure she was trying to probe me to see if I was harbouring resentments against Konoha for being forced to fight before I even hit the double digits for my age. I wasn't, for your information.

Following the meeting I had pretty much went straight home, only stopping to pick up a meal at a local restaurant. Our fridge was empty because none of us knew when we were going to be returning and at the moment we only had canned goods that would last through an apocalypse… and let's just say that I would rather eat field rations before eating those. Seriously, field rations don't _quite_ taste like ass, but it's a fairly close approximation.

After eating I had spent some time levelling up my chakra control skills [ **Tree Walking** ] and [ **Water Walking** ] before calling it quits and headed for bed, sleeping like a complete rock.

Now I was on my way back to Suguro's to pick up my new jacket, unfortunately, my usual combat outfit had been pretty much damaged beyond repair during my fight with Nana, leaving me with little in terms of defensive options. But I was a kunoichi, I wasn't supposed to sit and take enemy attacks like some kind of samurai, I'm supposed to dodge them!

Eh, besides I found a nifty little seal not too long ago that would allow me to increase the defensive abilities of cloth based objects, it wouldn't quite be as strong as say Iron, but apparently it could make something like a cotton weaved shirt as strong as Kevlar. And considering that most shinobi outfits are made out of tougher materials I think I would be able to get away without wearing armor.

"Good morning!" I called out as I entered the shop, getting the attention of Suguro.

"Ah, welcome back, Yuriko-chan!" He called out cheerfully. "Here to pick up your order, then? One sec, Hanae! Yuriko is here for her custom order!"

"Coming!" A feminine voice called out before a red haired, blue eyed woman appeared from behind the large shopkeeper. Everything Suguro was physically, his daughter wasn't, apparently, not even a foot taller than me the teen woman was soft curves and tiny, especially when compared to the giant that was her father. "Yes, I got your jacket right here," she confirmed, smiling widely at me as she handed the jacket over to me, the Uchiha clan symbol emblazoned on it.

Grinning I accepted the jacket and immediately threw it on over the sleeveless black shirt I was wearing, testing out its fit. "Thanks a lot," I said gratefully, adjusting the collar a bit. "It's good work."

Looking up from my jacket I met the scrutinizing gaze of Hanae. "W-what?" I questioned nervously as her eyes bored into me.

"That skirt does _not_ work with that jacket," she told me after several moments of nervous silence, her father groaning as he slid his face into the palm of his hand, muttering something that sounded like 'here we go again'. "The undershirt works, but blue and red? They just clash in a _terrible_ way."

I blinked as I took a nervous step back from her, a strange feeling of inadequacy welling up inside of me. "I… don't have any other colours for my skirts?" I replied defensively.

The civilian woman huffed in response before grabbing ahold of my wrist and began dragging me over to the changing room and shoved me in. "Wait here," she commanded before stalking off.

Blinking in shock I turned to Suguro who simply shook his head in response. "She gets like that whenever she encounters a 'travesty of fashion' as she calls it," he replied with a long suffering sigh. "Just… go along with it, many are actually happy with the result."

I nodded slowly, turning my nervous gaze to the teen who was darting through the clothing racks set up in a corner of the store before turning back to her father. "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you about," I spoke up, getting his attention again. "I was wondering, do you have any kind of holsters for a kodachi that will work on the leg?" I questioned him. "See I normally have it on my back, but… it's hard to draw it quickly when it's behind me, and I need my waist free so I can reach my pouch easier."

Suguro hummed in response before nodding in understanding. "I think I get what you're looking for, one second," he requested before disappearing into the back, just as Hanae appeared before me again, shoving an armful of clothes into me.

"Try these on," she urged me before shutting the door closed.

Blinking at how what was supposed to be a simple pickup was progressing, I let out a sigh of resignation and began pulling off my own clothing to do as she said.

It didn't take me too long to change my clothing, the clothing she had selected for me being simple to pull on - a trait shared by most shinobi outfits - and looking at myself in the mirror, I had to reluctantly agree, it _did_ work.

My shirt was still black, but was now a t-shirt that covered some of my upper arm with a pair of reinforced gloves covering my hands, the skirt had been replaced by a crimson red one that was shorter than the blue one I had been wearing, going midway down to my thigh and bearing a slit on the left side to ensure that it didn't interfere with my mobility, a pair of spats were on underneath to protect my modesty while a pair of thigh length stockings led down to me new sandals, my new jacket finishing the entire outfit off.

Letting out a sigh I reluctantly opened the door to an excited cheer.

"Am I good? Or am I good?" Hanae questioned with a large grin as she took in my new outfit.

"It's… good," I managed to get out as I looked down at myself, a sinking realization that I really have become a girl sinking into me. "Thank you, I guess?"

Hanae grinned at me in response before bobbing her head. "Well, she isn't wrong, you definitely look like a kunoichi in that outfit," Suguro informed as he appeared. "A tiny one, but a kunoichi nonetheless," he chuckled as I scowled ineffectuality at him before handing over a holster. "This goes on your right shin," he explained. "Should be exactly what you are looking for."

Swallowing my scowl, I accepted he red holster that I quickly strapped around my shin as instructed before unsealing my kodachi and slid it in and secured it.

Standing up I saw that it came up to my thigh and tried moving around, even sticking myself to the ceiling of the shop before testing the draw. It was _far_ faster than when I had it on my back, even when I had tried it on my lower back, the 60cm blade popping out of the sheathe with ease as I took a few experimental swings.

"It's perfect," I announced with a wide grin at the man. "So… how much do I owe for all of this and a few spares of the outfit?"

Turns out, quite a bit, so, 25,000 Ryo later I walked out with several copies of my outfit sealed away along with another three copies of my new kodachi harness.

After dropping the clothing off and grabbing a quick bite to eat, I grabbed the rest of my combat supplies and made my way to the training grounds once again, it was time to train.

* * *

[ **The Blackwood Forest** ], as soon as I selected that option as put my hand on the gate I suddenly found myself in front of a forest that I was _damn_ certain hadn't been there before.

Oh right, Tobirama and Madara had decided to fuck with space/time for whatever reason to make pocket dimensions to shove chakra mutations into.

Shaking my head I let out a sigh before stepping towards the forest and began walking through it. Hey, it's a bunch of squirrels, what's the worst that could happen?

* * *

I really should have known better to tempt Murphy, seriously, what the in the _hell_ was wrong with me when I thought that?! Now I was surrounded by waist-high two-feet-tall ravenous fucking beasts that were _slavering_ at getting a taste of poor helpless little Yuriko!

Well… maybe not helpless I guess, I admitted to myself as my kodachi, alight with [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] cut deeply into a squirrel that had taken a running leap for my throat.

The [ **Crimson Squirrel** ] screech as my blade cut into it, severely damaging several of its organs and muscles. I ignored the beast as I turned to the next beast, flinging a handful of shuriken at it to get it to back away before storing my kodachi to form the seals for a new fire jutsu that I picked up from the Uchiha Jutsu library. "[ **Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire** ]!" I intoned as I spat out a shotgun like blast of fireballs that slammed into three of the squirrels, the hidden shuriken within the technique adding to the damage as they tumbled back.

My instincts flared, making me roll to the side as another squirrel charged out from the underbrush to try and jump onto me.

Once I was clear I drew out my kodachi, slashing as it came free, applying a hasty [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ] to the blade as it ignited the squirrel.

Placing my back to a tree I took in steady breaths, holding my kodachi at the ready as I carefully watched the recovering squirrels, the one that I slashed with [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] finally dying from blood loss. How long has it been since I entered the training ground and started fighting these kami-cursed squirrels? Thirty minutes? An hour?

Shaking my head I cut the flow of chakra to the [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ] and reapplied [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] both because I wanted to train with it, and because it was honestly more damaging than anything else I had at the moment.

My sharingan alerted me to one of the squirrels leaping up at my face, predicting it's path I sidestepped it's leap and slashed my kodachi through it's neck, beheading it instantly before throwing myself in a flip as another squirrel tried to take out my hamstrings, my free hand flashing through seals in the space of a second to form a [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] and using it to sever the squirrel's spine.

Landing I struck out with my foot to kick a squirrel away from me before dropping to a knee and stabbing up with my kodachi, another squirrel flying overhead. If I had learned anything during my time on the front lines, it was awareness of my surroundings, it was far too easy to lose myself to the predictive abilities of the sharingan, relying on it to warn me of danger, when it could only see what _I_ saw.

Fighting alongside my brother showed me to be mobile when fighting, to be constantly scanning the area around me, watching below and above as I moved. I leapt and pushed myself off a nearby tree, soaring over a pair of squirrels as I threw my kodachi down into one of them, embedding it into the spine before landing on the other, using my admittedly slight weight to stun the beast before shoving a [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] into its brain.

Grabbing my kodachi, I finished the paralyzed squirrel off before turning around and spotting the final two mobile squirrels slowly getting to their feet.

Not allowing them to recover I formed three seals. "[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" I shouted before releasing a single fireball that was as tall as I was and taking a good chunk of my chakra with it. The two squirrels were unable to get out of the way in time and were caught in the flames and died soon after.

Panting I scanned the area for any other threats I let out a sigh of relief as I only saw the remaining enemy was the other squirrel I had paralyzed.

Walking over to it I finished it off before slumping against a tree. "Goddammit, squirrels… fucking squirrels are this dangerous?" I panted, shaking my head. "And it only gets worse from here… kami damn it all."

Shaking my head I opened the alerts menu and started sorting through them, ending up with 6,650 EXP and 5,600 Ryo with an assortment of crafting materials from killing the seven squirrels, and that was the fourth ambush that I killed today, making it a total of 26,600 EXP and 22,400 Ryo gained so far, equalling two more levels bringing me up to level 26. Unfortunately, the damned box won't let me apply my new stat points while I'm inside of a dungeon, talk about a piss off.

Shaking my head of the thoughts I pulled out a sword maintenance kit and began restoring the durability of my kodachi, it was sitting at 40 durability and I didn't want to risk it breaking in the middle of a fight.

Once that was finished, I topped off my health before my stomach began to rumble, huh, must be around noon time then, hard to see the sun past the thick foliage of the trees, even if light did manage to stream through, although this was a pocket dimension so who knew if the 'sun' was even in the right position when compared to outside of the training ground.

Pulling a sandwich out of the inventory I hummed in thought as I ate it. It was strange… how my powers worked, anything I put into the [ **Inventory** ] was put into a type of stasis it seemed - I had tested it with some raw meat and left it for a week, it came out like I had just bought it - and while it automatically looting things from my enemies, I could also put in things that _I_ grabbed from them.

And sometimes they had things that they were never even using in the first place! So, where did the items come from? Was it whatever decided to reincarnated me here as Yuriko Uchiha? Something else? Were they benign in nature?

Gah! It was hurting my brain too much to think about it, not to mention the feeling dread that filled me the more I thought about it. Yeah, I think in this occasion, ignorance _**is**_ bliss would be the best route to take until I come across some more… solid evidence.

Finishing off my sandwich, which also helped restore a portion of my CP thankfully, I stood back up and began heading deeper into the forest.

I leapt up into the trees, it was easier for me to remain undetected amongst the leaves then on the ground, as I moved, keeping my sharingan active as I searched for my next set of enemies.

Soon enough I found a small group of rabbits nearby, each of them up to my knees in height, a quick [ **Observe** ] telling me they were [ **Killer Rabbits** ], making them chakra beasts. Thankfully they hadn't seemed to have notice me yet as I glided amongst the trees, getting myself into a position for an ambush of my own.

I landed on a branch above them, so focused on them that I didn't noticed it already had an occupant until I disturbed him.

Sitting next to me, staring at me in surprise was what my [ **Observe** ] told me was a [ **Screaming Squirrel** ]. Whose mouth was already open and about to start screaming.

Well damn… there goes my ambush.

The scream the little guy produced was deafening in sound as my hastily drawn kunai managed to silence the critter, although I had been thrown off balance by it and ended up falling to the ground… right in the middle of the now _very_ alert [ **Killer Rabbits** ].

 **HP:** 1,315  
 **Status:** Deaf (Temporarily - 30 seconds remaining), Unbalanced

I didn't wait to see what they did or to regain my hearing as I threw myself up and flipped back, just in time to avoid a rabbit slamming down right where I had been lying prone, leaving a sizable dent in the forest floor.

I staggered a bit as I got to my feet, my inner ear shot to fuck from that little bastard's scream. Even though I still kept myself moving as I formed the seals for the [ **Mystical Palm** ], messing up on my third hand seal and causing a chakra backfire.

 **HP:** 1,263  
 **Status:** Deaf (Temporarily - 30 seconds remaining), Unbalanced

I scowled as my hands shook from the backlash, ducking out of the way of a rabbit's bite ( _Holy shit those teeth are sharp!_ ) I once again formed the seals, getting them correct this time before placing my now glowing hands over my ears, correcting the damage to my inner ear, restoring my equilibrium.

Just in time as the rabbits had managed to herd me into a trap, five of them jumped towards me at once. My kodachi was out in a second as I slashed one of the rabbits, tilting my head just enough for one to pass my head by, although it did leave a scratch on my ear. My hand came flying up in a palm strike to the third, the fourth was evaded by bending forward, and in what would probably be an impressive display of flexibility smashed my right foot into the fourth and spinning myself so that I could then drive it into the fifth with a heel drop.

Getting myself to my feet, I took a second to apply [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] to my kodachi before resuming my battle with the rabbits. The one that had scratched my ear had turned itself around to face me as his fellows recovered from my counter attacks to leap at me again in a rush of speed.

By Kami these little things had a hell of a leap!

It was thanks to my sharingan I was able to throw myself to the side as I slashed with my kodachi, managing to cleave off one of his legs before turning to side and bringing the blade around to guard against another rabbit's lunge.

Holy crap I was actually sent sliding back my that rabbit slamming against my kodachi.

Retaliating I grabbed the still airborne rabbit by the ears before slamming it into my rising knee and tossed it as hard as I could manage into a nearby tree and fired of a single seal, one handed [ **Fire Release: Fireball** ] to finish the creature off.

Gritting my teeth, I spun around another attempted attack. They only had the one attack, but still, goddamn there were just so _many_ of them!

I was forced to suddenly lean back far enough that I was able to feel the tips of the blades of grass under me tickle my scalp as another one blurred above me, planting my hands on the ground I maned to leverage myself into a heel drop on the rabbit, feeling the beast's spine shatter as it was driven into the ground by my foot.

Balancing myself on one hand I stabbed another rabbit with my kodachi as another rabbit tried to take advantage of my disadvantageous position. Flicking the surprisingly heavy body off of my kodachi, I struck another rabbit in the face with a palm strike to throw it off balance and flipped the rest of my body up, balancing on a single hand as another pair tried to take a chunk out of my legs.

Bending my elbow I managed to push myself into the air from that position and flipped so that I landed feet first on the ground. Sweeping my blade in front of me to keep the rabbits from trying to attack as I landed I leapt back to create more distance as I placed my kodachi back into the sheath.

I flipped through the needed seals and inhaled. "[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" I intoned as I sent out a continuous flame to incinerate the three that were grouped together. Once I was certain they were dealt with I let up on the flames and scanned the area for any other mobile hostiles and let out a relieved sigh as I began mopping up the ones that were immobile.

Nine of the little bastards, damn did that scream from before bring more in?

"Gonna have to be more careful for those screamers then," I muttered to myself as I looked up at the foliage above me. "Stupid little buggers. Alright, let's see what I got from that little… adventure."

Opening the alerts menu to check over the reports it gave me on the gains for EXP and such, my eyes lit up as I spotted an alert for a new perk.

 **Your skill at avoiding your enemies has granted you a new skill!  
[Dodge] (Passive) (Level 1 - 0.00%)** \- +15% effectiveness at avoiding enemy attacks

Huh… alright I can definitely use something like that, I don't like getting hurt, and situations like against Nana would've been _so_ much easier if I had been able to evade her attacks. Letting out a breath, I shook off the memory and began sorting through the assorted kill alerts.

Alright… nine [ **Killer Rabbits** ] and a [ **Screaming Squirrel** ] coming to a total of… 7,400 EXP and 5,900 Ryo with assorted crafting items ( _I really should learn a crafting skill, or bring them to Suguro_ ).

Taking a moment to gather myself mentally, I let out a sigh before relaxing my body and started forward again.

It was strange though, I didn't encounter anything as I moved deeper, nor did I see any signs of habitation here, like the chakra mutations avoided the entire place, even though it looked like there was some decent vegetation here.

My eyes snapped up as I caught sight of some movement, my entire body tensing as I waited with baited breath. When a small, normal sized rabbit hopped out of the underbrush of a nearby cluster of trees I let out a breath of relief. "Well… hey there little guy," I called out, a small smile of relief on my face as I relaxed my guard a bit and stepped closer. "What are you doing in here, actually how have you _survived_ here?"

I didn't notice it as I walked forward, but the rabbit had frozen when I made myself known and began walking towards it. Its beady eyes watching my every movement as I got closer.

I was about to lean over to pet the still rabbit, also check it for tags in case someone's pet had gotten lost, when all hell broke loose.

The rabbit had suddenly vanished from my eyesight ( _Why did I_ ever _turn my sharingan off?_ ) before something hit me in the gut with the force of a tour bus going to fat camp.

Next thing I knew I was having another lesson in flying before slamming into a tree with enough force to splinter the back.

 **HP:** 952

What?

Blinking, I tried to reorient myself and blinked again as all I saw was that same rabbit just hopping towards me, but this time there were letters floating above in in bold red text.

[ **Rabbit of** **Caerbannog** ] Level 30  
 **HP:** 3,500  
 **CP:** 1,500

Oh… oh god… what has Konohagakure's founders wrought upon me this day?

It was at this moment, that I decided, when I meet Tobirama or Madara, which ever one of those bastards I came across first, I was going to kick them straight in the balls… with a chakra scalpel.

Granted, they would likely be an Impure Resurrection Zombie, but still, it's the principle of the matter.

Wait… where did the rabbit go?

OH SHIT!

I threw myself to the side just in time to avoid getting my face _mauled_ by the demon rabbit as it tore through the tree that stopped my rabbit-induced flight like it wasn't even there.

Getting to my feet I quickly drew out my kodachi and started [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] on the blade as I tried to find the rabbit that was now hidden amongst the underbrush.

I must never let Sakaki-nii-san find out I was being hunted by a rabbit.

My danger senses flared as I tossed myself to the side again, this time catching sight of the rabbit as it tried to take a chunk of my head off and managed to graze it's skin with my scalpel empowered blade, only to find the chakra rebuffed by the rabbit's own.

Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS RABBIT!?

Throwing myself away to create more room, I leapt up onto one of the overhanging branches to try and get some distance between me and what could only be the boss of the [ **Darkwood Forest** ].

"[ **Observe** ]," I panted out as I kept moving, keeping the rabbit in my line of sight as I moved ( _HOW IS IT TREE RUNNING!?_ ).

[ **Rabbit of** **Caerbannog** ] Level 30  
 **HP:** 3,500  
 **CP:** 1,500

 **PERKS**  
 **Unassuming Form** \- Its appearance belies its strength, making any who would approach its domain underestimate it.  
 **Superior Chakra Beast** \- This beast is the alpha predator of its environment, because of its feeding on other chakra beasts, its chakra is unusually dense allowing it to rebuff any chakra weaker than its own invading its body.

Son of a _mother fucker!_ Okay if I survive this, I am going to be training in more offensive jutsu than just my chakra scalpel because this thing in front of me is BULLSHIT!

Sheathing my kodachi ( _I really need to learn how to do more one handed seals_ ) I began molding my chakra. "[ **Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire** ]!" I called out as I exhaled a swarm of fireballs at the bouncing demon rabbit that was chasing after me.

While the majority of them missed, I managed to land a few on him, a few twitches of my fingers and the shuriken hidden in the fireballs that went wide suddenly broke away from the flames and began spinning around to catch the rabbit in the nano wire tied to them.

Then the rabbit decided to simply just _bite through_ the wire. Wire that was able to have a fully grown man hanging from it with just a single strand.

"Fucking bullshit this thing is a rabbit!" I shouted as I started running again, hurling chakra infused kunai behind me as I moved. "It _has_ to be the Bijuu the Sage told no one about!"

Growling, I drew out my kodachi again and started applying [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ] onto it before doubling back to the rabbit.

Thankfully my sudden change in direction managed to catch it between leaps and I managed to get in a burning slash across its flank, dear kami it's hard to hit a normal sized rabbit with a sword when it's moving!

Not stopping to see what damage I caused to it I continued to run, thankfully I seemed to be faster than the rabbit at this point. Oh hey… the forest is on fire.

Wait… oh right, fire plus trees makes more fire doesn't it.

A fire I was heading straight for… with a demon rabbit at my back that is most likely pissed off that I injured it.

Kami, why do you hate me so?

Gritting my teeth I altered my path, sheathing my kodachi I slammed my foot against a branch with as much force as I could muster to send me flying from my path at a ninety degree angle before turning around mid air as I completed a set of hand seals, in for a penny, in for a pound. "[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I pumped more chakra that what was required into the jutsu.

Thankfully the rabbit had _indeed_ been following my every move as I exhaled a fireball easily twice my own size directly into the demon's face.

I could only stare as the fireball continued a good ways before it suddenly exploded. Huh, it normally doesn't do that, going to have to check my alerts later.

Unfortunately for me, the rabbit blurred out of the conflagration and _somehow_ managed to convey a feeling of absolute rage at me. Huh, was this real bloodlust I was feeling? Well damn.

[ **Rabbit of** **Caerbannog** ] Level 30  
 **HP:** 2,145  
 **CP:** 1,034

Alright, I'm doing damage to it, that's the good news. Bad news, it was now ricocheting itself of the trees as around me, doing a damn good impression of Rock Lee when he fought Gaara.

I let out a cough of pain as the rabbit slammed into my back, shaving off the better part of nearly 500 HP before I managed to get his pattern down enough to start avoiding his attacks. I was starting to get used to his speed, my sharingan getting better at predicting its movements as I managed to start counter attacking.

It was a battle of attrition at this point as I caught its side with my kodachi again while it managed to trip me up, slamming me into the ground and shaving off another 135 hit points. But… with the rate it's CP was dropping, it _had_ to have been using some kind of technique to increase its speed, all I needed to do was survive until it ran out of chakra.

Then, hopefully, it would be helpless to resist my offense.

When it finally happened I nearly let out a shout of joy as it pushed me below 200 HP, the rabbit suddenly coming to a halt as it dropped to the ground, the area around us a mess of broken trees, scorched ground and all around destruction. "Alright you little bastard, time for revenge," I growled as I applied [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] to my kodachi. "Let's see you repulse my chakra when you don't have any of your own."

It wasn't making my revenge easy, that's for sure as it used its own natural evasiveness to avoid my attacks as I chased after it, using a clever little trick of rebounding kunai, I managed to drive it into one of my strikes that cut its rear leg's hamstring.

The beast toppled to the ground, unable to keep going with its leg so badly injured.

"Three times… I've nearly died _three times_ since I've arrived," I panted, a kind of giddy rage filling me as I stared at the helpless beast. "Now… I am getting revenge for it," I formed the hand seals I needed to finish the beast off. "Now _**burn**_ [ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" I shouted as I release the flamethrower onto the beast, keeping the fire going until I almost depleted all of my chakra.

 **Congratulations, you have defeated the** [ **Rabbit of** **Caerbannog** ] **!**

 **10,000 EXP and 15,000 Ryo received!  
[Inaba Rabbit] Jutsu Scroll and Darkwood Forest Key looted and stored in the Inventory**

"You're goddamn right I beat that thing," I crowed proudly as I started laughing. "I don't know who did it… but if I ever find who put that damn rabbit in here I am _going_ to remove their genitalia."

 **Now exiting [Darkwood Forest] you will find your clear reward at the entrance!**

I didn't even care at this point, I was tired, hungry and I just wanted to go home. But still, once the flash of light of the transportation was finished, my gaming instincts brought me to a chest that looked like had been sitting there for decades, a note overtop of it declaring it the reward left by Hashirama for whoever cleared the forest first.

Which considering the beast of a rabbit that had been in there, I'm not surprised someone hadn't cleared it yet.

Pulling the key from the [ **Inventory** ] I unlocked the chest and opened it to find a sheathed kodachi sitting within. "[ **Observe** ]," I called out as I stared at the blade.

[ **Tsuki no Usagi (Rabbit of the Moon)** ] - A kodachi forged by the smith Muramasa and gifted to Hashirama, the Shodai left this blade for the one who managed to slay the dreaded rabbit that lay within the [ **Darkwood Forest** ]. - Chakra Reactive, +50 DEX when equipped, +15-50 STR when under the moonlight, variable depending on the phase of the moon with the full moon giving the most benefit. **Durability 3500/3500**

Well… _damn_ that's a good weapon. I was reluctant to replace my current one, considering it was a gift from my father, but in the end I needed the strength that it gave me, so I replaced the sword with the newer one in holster.

"Alright, time to head home," I told myself with a groan as I began to limp my way home, healing myself up as best as I could as I moved.

Sometimes… being a gamer sucked.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **AN: Well… damn, that was the most fun I had writing a fight scene in ages, hope you all enjoyed it! Also, thanks goes out to SeerKing who started Beta'ing my work for me, so… thank you! Anyways… thanks alot for reading and see ya later!**


	8. Chapter 8: Two Years of War

**You have slept in your own bed! HP & CP Restored by 100%**

Never again will I dismiss that notification without gratitude.

Seriously, that goddamn rabbit can burn in hell for all I care, but, now that I thought about it, didn't I get a jutsu scroll from it?

 **You cannot learn [Inaba Rabbit] Jutsu. REQUIREMENTS: DEX 70+**

Well… damn, even in the pits of hell that rabbit is giving me difficulty, still though, might as see what it would do if I go through the trouble to meet the requirements.

 **[Inaba Rabbit](Active/Passive)[Level 1-100]** \- Increases base movement speed by 100-300%, costs 100-1 CP/per Second

Oh… oh my, that… that is _very_ helpful.

Before I could contemplate it any longer I heard the front door open and close. "I'm home!" my father's voice called out to the house.

"Dad!" I called back as I bolted out of bed, uncaring of the fact that I was only in a t-shirt and shorts to barrel into my laughing father who returned my tight hug with his own.

"Hey kid, Hokage-sama told me you were home, and that you were being promoted, congratulations," my father told me, looking tired, but proud as he looked down at me.

I felt my heartbeat flutter at his acknowledgement as my face hurt from the smile that was on my face. Stepping back I let him take off his shoes and walked with him into the kitchen where I promptly told him to sit down while I made breakfast.

"You're reminding me more and more of your mother every time I see you," he told me warmly as he watched me cook. "So, I heard a rumor you've created a new technique?"

I blushed a bit in response to commented before grinning and applied [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] on one of the kitchen knives to show him, the knife didn't carry the chakra well, but it was enough to get the technique across. "It's actually really simple," I explained as he studied the knife with his sharingan active. "[ **Chakra Flow** ] and [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] are both already similar techniques in nature, this just takes advantage of that, once I get comfortable with chakra nature manipulation I'm going to start trying to mix that in with it to see what happens."

My father nodded in understanding, letting his sharingan fade as I dropped my own technique. "Still, impressive, you are living up to everyone calling you a genius," he said, making me blush even further as I turned back to my cooking.

"I don't _feel_ like one," I mumbled in response, apparently loud enough for him to hear, getting a chuckle. I was silent for a few more minutes as I focused on cooking us breakfast. "So… you and mom know about… my _abilities_?" I questioned, breaking the silence.

"We do," he confirmed calmly, his voice accepting. "You brother was the one who caught into it at first, he spotting you learning a jutsu in a scroll without even opening it."

"And here I thought I was being careful with that," I grumbled with a pout. "But… yeah, it'll be easier to show you, invite Genai Uchiha to party."

My father blinked and stared at the box that appeared before him with a dumbfounded expression.

 **Yuriko Uchiha has invited you to her Party?  
Accept? Y/N**

Curious he hit the accept button. "Now say [ **Status** ]," I prompted, getting him to follow through.

 **Name:** Genrai Uchiha **  
Level:** 48  
 **EXP** : 15,987/25,000 **  
Age:** 39  
 **Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Jonin (+50% to all reputation gains)  
 **STATS  
HP -** 10,709 **  
CP -** 8,200 **  
STR -** 103 **  
INT -** 90 **  
DEX -** 90 **  
VIT -** 103 **  
WIS -** 90 **  
LUK -** 45  
 **Ryo** \- 5,921,763

"How curious," my father said as he looked over his stats. "It's accurate I take it?"

"As far as I can tell," I replied with a shrug as I began placing our breakfast, simple eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. "When I gain a level, I get stat five stat points to distribute, and when I do distribute them I do feel stronger."

My father nodded slowly in response. "What else can it show?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow, now completely attentive to what it can do.

"Try saying [ **Perks** ] it should bring up modifiers," I replied, trying to find the right words to explain how they worked. "They're either natural born, or appear because of events, like I got a perk for [ **Genius** ] when I got back to Konoha because everyone kept calling me one apparently."

My father made a noise of acceptance as he opened the perks menu with only a handful to his name.

 **PERKS**  
 **[All-Rounder] -** +1 to STR, INT, VIT and WIS per Level when stats are within 15 points of each other, perk lost when balance is lost **  
[Interceptor Fist Master] -** +100% Damage when using [ **Uchiha Interceptor Fist** ] taijutsu style **  
[Fire Ninjutsu Expert] -** +25% Effectiveness with Fire Ninjutsu  
 **[Uchiha] -** +1 DEX and WIS per level, potential to unlock the [ **Sharingan** ]

"Very accurate indeed," my father mused as he looked over the perks. "And how long have you had this power for?"

"A couple of months ago," I admitted. "It started a month before I graduated from the Academy, I didn't say anything… because… well… I don't know if it's just me… or if it would be passed on."

"Understandable, this power could easily be abused by many in the village, and I am not eager to see my daughter used a tool," he nodded in understanding. "Have you told anyone else?"

"Just Sakaki-nii-san when we met up at Tensei Bridge," I informed him with a sigh. "Nobody else… I'm not even completely sure I _want_ to tell anybody else."

He nodded. "Then we won't say anything," he told me calmly, I had to blink a few tears away, just like mom he was showing a level of acceptance I'd never experienced before, I couldn't help but wonder… was this because of the [ **Honored** ] Reputation status I had with them?

Shaking my mind out of it I simply smiled at him happily. "Thank you," I whispered gratefully. "Um… I'm planning on doing some training later today… would you be able to help me with it?"

"Of course," he replied warmly. "If you want, I can help you find your chakra nature and show you the basic level of the Nature Manipulation training for your chakra elements."

"Sounds like fun!" I chirped in agreement, feeling the tension that I had never realized was in my shoulders release. "I look forward spending some time with you, dad."

The smile my father sent my way warmed my heart as he chuckled a bit. "I'll only be in Konoha for a week, but I look forward to spending time with you as well, Yuriko-chan," he told me kindly.

Beaming a smile at him, I turned back to my meal, looking forward to the coming week with my father.

* * *

I stared at the paper that I held between my thumb and index finger contemplatively. "How do they make these?" I questioned as I looked up at my father with a confused look. "I get how they work, they're like the metal we use for weapons like the kodachi you got for me, or [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ], but what I don't get, is how _paper_ is made for it?"

My father chuckled at my questioning as I inspected the paper that he had handed me. "Well, I'm not exactly sure on this, but from what I can recall, the Shodai gifted a neutral country's hidden village with a seed he infused with his chakra," he explained, frowning as he tried to pull up the memory. "When it grew, they found that it absorbed chakra and shifted based upon the dominate elemental nature of that chakra, so they decided to use it as a way to find one's element, which at the time was far more difficult. Harvesting sections of the tree they turned it into paper which we now use to figure out elements."

"Huh, so basically almost everything is the Shodai's fault?" I questioned, getting a chuckle from my father, it was an old joke in Konoha used in a light hearted manner, mostly originating from the Shodai gifting the other villages the Bijuu that he sealed, save for the Kyuubi.

"Exactly," he confirmed with a nod. "Now stop dallying and channel your chakra into it."

Rolling my eyes I did as he instructed, causing half of the page to turn soggy while the other half caught fire and met in the middle.

 **Congratulations, you have discovered your chakra affinities!  
[Natural Water Affinity] Perk Added!**

"So… fire and water, right?" I questioned, looking up at him.

"Indeed so," he confirmed with a chuckle. "Not exactly a common combination considering water beats fire, but I think the water chakra comes from your grandmother on your mother's side and your grandfather on my side."

"Neat," I said, brushing the small bit of ash off of my arm. "So, what's my training exercise for them?"

"Well, for fire chakra you need to ignite a leaf using chakra, while with water chakra you drain the water out of it," he explained, reaching up into the tree in our backyard to pick a leaf and holding it in his hands, turning my sharingan on I watch as he gathered chakra into the leaf before it shifted into a reddish color causing the leaf to burst into a small flame. "Want to try?"

* * *

 **QUEST ALERT!  
Learn the [Fire Nature Manipulation] and [Water Nature Manipulation] skills while training with your father!**

 **REWARD  
+2,500 EXP and +1000 Reputation with Genrai Uchiha per skill learned**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Level both skills up to Level 5**

 **REWARD  
Random D-ranked ninjutsu scroll in each element**

* * *

"Definitely," I confirmed as I took a leaf of my own, although I had to jump up to pull one off a branch, before sitting down onto the grass and concentrated on my chakra.

With my experience with the [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ] it was fairly easy for me to mould my chakra into fire natured chakra, the real challenge, however, came with trying to _ignite_ the leaf like my father had, all I was getting at the moment was some steam wafting from the leaf as it began to dry up.

"Hmm, not a bad first attempt," my father commented approvingly as he watched my efforts. "Your experience with the [ **Fire Release: Chakra Flow** ] is definitely showing, but a leaf isn't as sensitive to the different elements as chakra metal," he explained calmly as he took a new leaf down to replace with my dried out one. "So when you mould your chakra into the fire element, you need to make it more intense than normal in order to actually catch the leaf aflame. When you mould your chakra, try and keep the image of an intense fire inside of your mind to help you focus on it."

Accepting the leaf I took in a calming breath before closing my eyes, repeating my actions I channeled the chakra into the leaf before I started moulding it again, this time remembering the flames I released against _the rabbit_ , gritting my teeth as I focus I could _feel_ my chakra shifting before I felt something briefly burn my fingers, pulling a yelp from me as I let go of the now burning leaf and shook my hands to try and cool them to my father's amusement.

"That's the way!" He cheered, clapping his hands. "That's _exactly_ how you do fire manipulation!"

 **Your hard work as rewarded you with a new Skill!  
[Fire Nature Manipulation](Passive)[Level 1 - 0.00%] - +10% Effectiveness to Fire ninjutsu**

"Yes!" I shouted as the new skill window popped up in front of me, laughing a bit in my excitement, making my father chuckle my my excitement.

"Want to try it with water now?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow, holding out a leaf in a challenging manner. "I won't be able to give you an example this time."

"You know it, I'll get it down in no time!" I shouted as I snatched the leaf, riding the high of getting [ **Fire Nature Manipulation** ] down.

Once I was settled I took some more calming breaths to center myself as I started channeling my chakra into the leaf.

It was tough at first, trying to get it down while holding the image of water in my head - specifically a memory of swimming in the lake near the compound with my brother - and I could feel _something_ happening with the leaf and my chakra did feel like it was flowing differently, a liquidy feeling on my hands broke my concentration as I opened my eyes to see the leaf had split open and was gushing out water from the split. "That's… not what's supposed to happen, is it?" I questioned as I look up to my father who shook his head in response.

"No, the leaf is supposed to be dry when you have completed the exercise," he informed me gently. "Instead of pushing the element in, you need to pull it out."

Nodding, I accepted the new leaf before closing my eyes and concentrating again. I changed my method this time, instead of pushing as much chakra as I could into it, I only push a little in to connect my chakra to the leaf and experimentally tried pushing the water inside of it around. I jolted when my father tapped me on the shoulder to bring awareness to the fact that part of the leaf had been broken.

Accepting the new leaf I restarted the process. My father, bless his heart, was a _very_ patient man because it took me nearly an hour and a pile of leaves to finally get the exercise down enough for a popup to appear before me.

 **Your hard work as rewarded you with a new Skill!  
[Water Nature Manipulation](Passive)[Level 1 - 0.00%] - +10% Effectiveness to Water ninjutsu**

"Finally!" I shouted as I flopped back onto the grass. "My word that was hard!"

"I'm not surprised by that," my father informed me, a small grin on his face as he took a seat beside me, crossing his legs comfortably as he looked down at me. "From what I've learned when studying Nature Manipulation those who have opposing affinities like yours will have a hard time learning how to manipulate the opposite one after learning the first due to how different it is and the conflicting nature of it."

Humming, I thought about what he told me. "So if I had say an earth alignment rather than water then it would've been easier?" I questioned, looking up at him.

"From what I can tell, yes," he confirmed with a nod, smiling at me. "But now that you have the feeling of it, you shouldn't have as much trouble with it, and once you master them, I'm sure you can use them in ways that even the Sandaime could only dream of."

Giggling at the thought I grinned widely before leaping to my feet. "Well then, only one way to master them then!" I shouted, a fire burning inside of me. "Time to start training."

My father laughed at my enthusiasm, looking like he deaged a few years as he relaxed with me, coaching me with my attempts at manipulating the elemental chakra, even explaining how to do the other Nature Manipulation exercises as I focused on my training.

It was… nice spending time with my father. While he didn't have my brother's teasing attitude or my mother's inner fire, he was like a solid rock that had soaked up the sun's heat. A strange approximation, I know, but it was the only way I could think of to describe him. He was patient with me, explaining in depth anything I asked him, showed me little tricks that made chakra manipulation easier and even helped advance my [ **Intermediate Kenjutsu** ] to [ **Advanced Uchiha Style Kenjutsu** ].

When I had completed the quest at the end of our training time together, he handed a pair of scrolls to me. [ **Fire Release: Blazing Skull** ] and [ **Water Release: Water Mantle** ], which ended up reminding me I wanted to learn the [ **Inari Rabbit** ] jutsu which in turn reminded me of the stat points I needed to distribute, causing my father to laugh as I ranted about forgetting something so basic.

Once my points were allocated, all fifteen points going into DEX, I was still short by a single point, making my father laugh even harder as I started cursing like a sailor. Once I was finished ranting he watched as I 'learned' the two ninjutsus, asking me some questions about the process and how much I knew about the jutsus without looking at the skill sheet.

From there, we re-entered the house to start making dinner and started talking about simpler things, that night was one of the fondest memories I hold of my father, and it tore me up, when a week before I was to be released from my medical leave, a week after he left, my mother came home with a haunted look on her face, reporting that he had been killed during battle.

* * *

As always, time moved on, I redeployed as a chunin of Konohagakure, unfortunately, it was not to link up with my teammates, but with my mother to a different front that needed more medical support to deal with the number of injured that was overwhelming the current medics there.

The Sandaime had given me a certificate declaring my advancement to Medic, Second Grade, at the same time as my chunin vest, telling me that I earned it with my actions during the battle of Tensei Bridge.

I ended up remaining at that front where we were supporting Sunagakure shinobi against Kirigakure for the next two years - hell it took my mother telling me it was my birthday the second year to realize I _had_ been there a year. It was a blur, my memories sometimes resolving in a medical tent, shouting for another medic to support me as I tried to stop a man from bleeding out from an artery, another memory was cutting my way through what could only be a Hozuki clan member with my [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] blood sprayed all over my body.

Thankfully, I had rejoined with my team on that front, Hasai-sensei was the same as ever, Chika-chan was quieter than normal and had a tendency to shake in fear when the earth shook for any reason, Aoi-kun was more determined than ever, becoming more vicious when he engaged the enemy.

I knew I changed as well… it was a subtle thing and shook me to my core when I just stopped _caring_ about the injuries I inflicted onto the people I fought, it no longer disgusted me like it once had when I shredded a man's lungs and left him gasping for breath. I was nearly hysterical when I realized this, it took both my mother and Hasai-sensei and hour to calm me down and a month of being restricted to the medical ward before I was able to enter the battlefield again without shaking.

That was when I first met Minato Namikaze, the father of Naruto and future Yondaime Hokage.

We had been hearing rumours of a possible ceasefire being called with Iwa, something that was supported by a lack of Iwagakure shinobi appearing on the field, and was later confirmed as Minato-san walked into the base we shared with Sunagakure. Looking for me.

"I'm sorry, Minato-san, but you want _me_ to be a part of the escort for Sandaime-sama?" I questioned the blond man with an incredulous look. "But… why? I'm not even ten and I'm only a chunin!"

Minato-san smiled at me in response, looking completely at ease. "Simple, you are nine years old, and a chunin," he replied simply. "Plus you have been making a name for yourself out here… 'Sword-Scalpel' Yuriko."

I scowled a bit at the name, but it was nicer than what the enemy had been calling me. 'Bloody Scalpel', can't say they're wrong with it though. "Stupid overblown reputation," I muttered to myself, drawing a chuckle from Minato-san.

"Indeed, they are troubling things," he said knowingly, ah right, Iwa called the 'Yellow Flash' the 'Massacre Flash', suddenly my own didn't sound so bad.

* * *

 **MANDATORY QUEST ALERT!**

 **Escort the Sandaime Hokage to the Peace talks with the Sandaime Tsuchikage!**

 **REWARD  
25,000 EXP, +15,000 Reputation with Konohagakure, +5,000 Reputation with Iwagakure, ?**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE**

?

?

 **REWARD**

?

?

* * *

Letting out a sigh I sagged a bit, feeling the weight of my chunin vest weigh down upon me. "Understood, when will we be leaving then?" I questioned, snapping at attention after brushing my now waist length hair over my shoulder, the last person to try and grab it when they had gotten close ended up being castrated with my chakra scalpel, a lot of people avoided going for it since then.

Minato smiled wider in response. "As soon as you're ready," he replied. "Get whatever you feel you may need and meet me back here."

I nodded before turning on my heel and marching out of the command building and into the heat of the Sunagakure desert. Well, more accurately the _edge_ of the desert, but still it was bloody hot during the day and freezing at night. Upside to being here for two years? I was no longer pale as fuck like most Uchiha, I now had a healthy tan going on… once I recovered from my sunburn that is anyways, thank you Iryojutsu.

Twitching my lip at that though I glanced at myself in the mirror, I gave myself a once over to make sure I looked professional enough, the subtle signs of curves my new A cup bra reminded me of one of my more… _clear_ memories happening about a year ago when I had woken up with the worst stomach cramp of my life and bleeding between my legs.

Thank _god_ for my shinobi discipline enforcing itself, allowing me to get out of my bed and wake my mother without causing a massive ruckus, but I spent the entire time screaming my head off mentally… and vocally once I had an area sealed off with a silencing seal.

Thankfully, for professionalism sake, my period had just passed for the month, so I should be free and clear for another few weeks, not that I would have let it affect me anyways, thanks to some of the tricks mom showed me when helping me clean myself up. My outfit mostly remained the same, although I was wearing my chunin vest rather than my jacket for the extra protection and had added a pair of armguards with reinforcement seals for that same purpose.

Making some minute adjustments to my hair, my mother insisted I not cut it shorter than it was now since it looked good on me, I turned away from the window and approached my 'office'. Which really was just a bunk and desk in the medical ward with some privacy curtains hung up, I was basically second in command of the medics at this point, my mother being the only one actually outranking me as jonin medics were in short supply, and let me tell you something, nothing like being put into the hot plate to make you learn fast because half a year in I _mastered_ [ **Mystical Palm** ] and was well versed in performing surgeries, both on and off the field.

"Hey mom, I'm getting redeployed," I informed as I entered the tent, getting my mom to look up from where she was doing an inventory check, we were _never_ not busy in here. "Minato-san told me Sandaime-sama wants me a part of his escort."

The owlish blink from my mom look rather weird considering she had her sharingan active at the time - it was surprising how useful it was for doing inventory counts. "He wants _you_ to be a part of the escort?" she questioned in the exact same tone I had when questioning my orders.

"That's what I asked, but apparently having Sword-Scalpel Yuriko around as their medic for the escort is a message of some kind," I replied as I headed for my office, stepping through the occupied beds, just like we were never not busy, the beds were never not full, the shinobi in the beds not even bothering to hide their eavesdropping of the conversation, we were _all_ insatiable gossips. "We're deploying as soon as I'm ready."

My mother sighed as she passed her clipboard to the assistant medic helping her with the counts before joining me in my office. "Are you stocked up on kunai and shuriken?" she questioned as she helped me gather my pack together, allowing me to gear myself up, starting like always with sliding Tsuki no Usagi into the holster on my right leg.

"Plenty to spare," I assured with a grin as I pulled on my armguard, testing the fit to see if they needed to be adjusted again - three times in this past month alone - before grabbing my equipment pouch and sliding it into place. "I need more shampoo though, why won't you let me cut my hair shorter already?"

My mother gave me 'The Look' all mothers had. "Because you look best with long hair," she told me primly as she placed a new bottle of shampoo in the bag she was packing. "And Uchiha Kunoichi always look their best."

I sighed a rolled my eyes at her argument, one I heard a thousand time by now, before testing the draw on Tsuki no Usagi. "Fine fine, but you get to buy my shampoo from now on," I grumbled, glaring at her a bit as she smirked in victory.

"Oh don't lie to yourself dear, you like it as much as I do, I've seen how much extra time you spend on you hair when you can," she told me knowingly.

I blushed at being caught, in truth I actually _did_ like my hair the length it was at, and spending the extra time I could get brushing it relaxed me more than simply sleeping could. "[ **Status** ]," I murmured, desperate to change the subject and put my sniggering mother out of mind.

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 40  
 **EXP** : 18,762/21,000 **  
Age:** 9 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Chunin (+25% to all Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP - **1,781 **  
CP -** 5,910  
 **STR -** 41 (51) **  
INT -** 83 **  
DEX -** 98 (122) **  
VIT -** 41 **  
WIS -** 70 **  
LUK -** 27  
 **Ryo** \- 4,672,153

Nodding to myself I closed the window and double checked my skills and perks before letting out a sigh and rolling my shoulders, only to freeze as my mother put her hands on them kneading the tension out of my shoulders gently.

"It's alright," she whispered to me, placing her forehead on top of my scalp, even with my growth spurt, I was still only 4'8 to my mom's 5'4". "Your father would be so proud of you right now," she told me, her voice thick with emotion, my eyes prickling with tears at the memory of his brief funeral where his name was added to the memorial stone.

"I miss him," I admitted in a small voice, weaker than I cared to admit.

"So do I, but he remains with us," my mother reminded me, patting my chest. "He always will be proud of you, so do your best and come back home, alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded, wiping my tear away with the back of my hands and straightened myself as mom pulled away. "I'll come back for sure."

My mother smirked the 'Uchiha Smirk™' - it really is trademarked, I checked - at me before patting my shoulder and handing my bag. "And I will be waiting, now go, don't keep Minato-san waiting."

Nodding I pulled the bag onto my back and shared another brief hug with my mom and left the tent to head back to the command post.

"Minato-san, I am ready," I announced as I stepped into the building at a parade rest, legs shoulder width apart and hands clasped at my lower back.

Minato looked up as I spoke, giving me a once over before nodding approvingly and stepped up. "Alright then," he announced, placing a hand on my shoulder, making me raise an eyebrow, why is he-? "As sensei would say, clench your butt."

The next thing I knew the world was turned upside down and became yellow.

* * *

I collapsed to my knees as my vision swam, my stomach rebelling as I tried to comprehend what just happened.

A deep laugh made me look up to see an apologetic looking Minato-san with an amused looking Sandaime-sama and a white haired man with two red trails under his eyes clutching his sides as he guffawed in laughter.

"Sorry about that," Minato-san said in sympathy. "It should pass soon, Hiraishin is hard on everyone the first time experiencing it."

" _That_ was the Hirashin?" I questioned incredulously, voicing my shock. "I felt like I was just tossed out of a window buck naked!"

My words only made who could only be Jiraiya-sama laugh even harder as Sandaime-sama chuckled a bit. "Don't think I've heard someone describe it quite like that before," Minato admitted as he fought a grin of his own.

I grumbled a bit as my stomach settled and my vision returned to normal soon enough and I was back on my feet like it never happened. "I apologise for my… rude behavior, Hokage-sama," I said, addressing the village leader who merely waved it off.

"Quite alright, Yuriko-chan," he assured, smiling kindly at me. "Thank you for agreeing to come with me today."

' _Not like I could say no to an order,_ ' I snarked mentally. "Of course, Hokage-sama," I said vocally. "May I assume the idiot laughing over there is Jiraiya-sama?"

 _That_ got a snort from Minato as Jiraiya froze, a betrayed look on his face. "Indeed so, Yuriko-chan this is my student, Jiraiya," he said in introduction, amusement tinging his tone as he looked to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, this is Yuriko Uchiha, our medic for the trip."

Jiraiya grumbled a bit in response as he righted himself, adjusting the older styled flak jacket he was wearing before facing me properly with an appraising eye. By _Kami_ you just can't appreciate how large this man is until you're right beside him in real life. "Pleased to meet ya," he said finally as he extended a hand. "I hear you're toting an unusual skill set, fuuinjutsu, ninjutsu, iryojutsu _and_ kenjutsu? Doesn't quite seem balanced on paper if you ask me."

I accepted his hand, marvelling as his seemed to engulf my own. "I make it work somehow, Jiraiya-sama," I said in response, shrugging off his comment, he was curious, not insulting like _some_ I had met until they saw me in combat. "I guess all it takes is some ingenuity and thinking outside of the box."

Jiraiya let out a bark of laughter in response. "A shinobi after my own heart," he declared cheerfully.

"Now that introductions are out of the way," Sandaime-sama said, clearing his throat, the three of us coming to attention in an instant as he stood up from his desk, I blush a bit as I only just now realized he was clad in his combat uniform. "Shall we be on our way to Tetsu no Kuni?"

Huh, so the peace talks are being held by the samurai? Smart. "Of course, Hokage-sama," was all I said as I bowed, Jiraiya chuckling at my formality.

"Very well then," Sandaime-sama said as he headed for the door, the three of us falling into step beside him easily.

* * *

We left the village with very little fanfare, just a short conference with who could only be Homura-san and Koharu-san with Sandaime-sama giving them explicit instructions before we headed out the gate, quickly taking to the trees.

I got appreciative looks from them as I managed to keep pace with them through the trees, thankfully I didn't need to use the [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] jutsu like I had thought I would have to keep up with them. Soon enough chatter started up with Minato-san and Jiraiya-sama questioning me about my fuuinjutsu skills, with me admitting that I mostly used it in a support role with enhancing my clothing with seals to provide passive benefits.

My Chakra Control seal seemed to really catch the interest of Jiraiya as he asked to see it when we stopped for the night, apparently the seal, while referenced, was really hard to come by.

We ended up stopping an hour before dusk, giving us plenty of time to set out camp up and get our meal cooking. "Yuriko-san, would you mind having a spar with me?" Minato-san questioned politely once our tents were set up and a fire was going.

"Ah… with me Minato-san?" I questioned, looking lost. "I don't think I would be much of a challenge for you…"

Minato-san shook his head in response, an encouraging smile on his face in response. "Nothing like that," he informed me. "I just wish to see your skill set in combat, it's one thing to talk and read about it, another thing entirely to see it in person."

* * *

 **MANDATORY QUEST ALERT!**

 **Spar with Minato Namikaze and last for 1:00 minute(s).**

 **REWARD  
+5,000 EXP, +1,000 Reputation with Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi.**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Last 1:30 minute(s)  
Last 2:00 minute(s)  
Last 2:30 minute(s)**

 **REWARD  
+5,000 EXP, +1,000 Reputation with Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi for each objective met.**

* * *

Swallowing tightly I nodded, prompting the mission acceptance. "Right then… let's do this I guess?" I said nervously as I stood up and moved a few feet away from Minato-san and got myself into a ready position, my kodachi in hand as my [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] activated sealessly and voicelessly. No way in _hell_ will I be able to survive a minute with the Yellow Flash if I held back.

"Alright, this match will be over when one hits the ground with both shoulders or I call it over," Jiraiya-sama announced in a serious tone as he pulled out a kunai. "You may begin when this kunai hits the ground."

Taking a breath I calmed myself as the Toad Sannin threw the kunai into the air lazily. I got into my modified stance of the Uchiha Kenjutsu, my kodachi held in a reverse grip while held behind me, my knees bent bringing me low to the ground and ready to leap in any direction.

Minato-san meanwhile stood in a relaxed pose, one of his signature tri-pronged kunai in his hand held in a reverse-grip.

My sharingan activated as the kunai hit the ground, granting me just enough perception to see Minato-san as he blurred forward. Even _without_ Hirashin the man was blindingly fast! Chakra rushed to my legs as I activated the five handsealed [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] jutsu without a single one or voicing it to rush myself back.

Minato-san was certainly not expecting me to come close to matching his speed if his widened eyes were any indication as I rebounded off of a tree, tearing a good chunk of it off from the tree as I launched towards Minato-san with a slash of my kodachi.

Just as I was about to hit his flak vest with the tip of my blade he vanished with only a few yellow spots being any indication that he had even been there.

My instincts flared a warning at me, forcing me to grab the ground to adjust my position just enough to allow a tri-pronged kunai to sail past me from above. The next second Minato-san was right in front of me, gripping the kunai in his hand with what could only be a rasengan in his free hand.

Reacting I threw my foot at the wrist of the hand holding the rasengan, knocking it out of the way while my own free hand reached to grab his jacket only for my hand to close on empty air as he vanished again.

I rolled myself mid air out of desperation to try and spot Minato-san than out of any instinctual feeling, barely avoiding a trio of Minato-san's kunai in the process as my feet touched the ground. Taking advantage of it I threw myself forward in an [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] powered sprint, a small explosion behind me told me that was the best move I could have made in that moment. Coming to a stop I spun around as I planted my back against a tree, spotting Minato-san watching me as a cloud of dust cleared away from the small indent in the ground that could have only been made by a Rasengan.

Sweat dripped down my face as I panted, how long has it been since we started? Is this what facing a kage-level opponent felt like? I hope didn't crap my pants…

Gritting my teeth I froze my thoughts in their place and focused on Minato-san as he retook his position. I can't let myself get distracted now, do or be in pain time.

I acted, a tiger seal in front of my face as I inhaled before releasing a [ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ] without warning, not the best one I've released, but still 4 feet in diameter easily. I didn't wait to see if it hit or not, I simply began charging after the fireball, and swung my kodachi. My first technique created with [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ]. [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel - Straight Cut** ].

The premise was simple, extend the flow of chakra with the swing, working on the same principle as Asuma Sarutobi's [ **Hien** ] technique to extend the range with his knives, I did the same for a single swing. At five feet.

My slash cut through my own fireball, dispersing the flames as the form was disrupted, only on problem. Minato-san wasn't there any more.

I did the only thing I could think of and threw myself to the side, not once did I let up on sending chakra to the [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] jutsu, which quite honestly saved me, as had I been one second slower I was quite certain whatever jutsu Minato-san fired off that sent a lightning bolt tearing through the clearing would've hurt _badly._

I traced the jutsu back to it's origin point only to find no one there, catching a flash in the corner of my eye I blinked in confusion as Minato-san teleported directly _in front of his own jutsu_. My eyes widened as I saw him complete a set of seals and held his tri-pronged kunai before him just as his jutsu reach him, and vanished.

I paled as a crackling was heard behind me, turning my head I barely caught sight of the jutsu behind me before it slammed into me, my mind blanking out a bit as electricity surged within in before collapsing as it ended.

"It's over!" Jiraiya-sama shouted, ending the match as I blinked several times, twitching a bit I tried to process what just happened.

"Holy _fuck_ ," I said finally as I regained control of my body.

Jiraiya-sama chuckled in response as he helped me sit up, patting my back. "That's exactly what I said when we sparred after he learned the Hiraishin," he admitted. "All said and done though, good hustle out there, how were you moving so quickly?"

"A-ah… I had found a scroll for the [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] jutsu a couple of years ago," I admitted with a blush. "I practiced with it until I could do it without using seals."

"Oho, haven't heard that jutsu name in quite a few years," Sandaime-sama said with a nostalgic look. "Where did you find it if I may ask?"

"The [ **Blackwoods Training Ground** ]," I admitted. "Found it on the demonic rabbit that was in there."

"Demonic rabbit?" Minato-san questioned with a raise eyebrow.

"Ah, it was in the center of the field," I explained with flush. "I managed to kill it… but it was a nasty little beast and I think it somehow learned the jutsu itself because he was moving as fast as I do when using it."

Sandaime-sama hummed in response as he nodded in contemplation. "Ah yes… the chakra mutations," he said after a few moments. "Have you been into any of the other ones?"

"Haven't had the chance with being deployed," I admitted with a blush as I began healing up the damage I accrued during our short fight. "Plus I wanted to get more experience before going into the next one."

"Commendable," Minato-san said approvingly a smile on his face. "I must say though, your skills are impressive for one your age."

"Ah, I'm not much," I denied reflexively, trying to his my darkening blush in the collar of my chunin vest, getting chuckles from the three men around the fire, glancing at the Quest completion alert from the corner of my eye. Holy crap that was only a minute and a half?

"What are you looking at, Yuriko-san?" Minato-san prompted gently, his blue eye kind as he looked at me observantly.

I froze in place, unsure on what to say to hide the answer without arousing their suspicion.

"She was definitely reading something earlier as well," Jiraiya-sama pitched in easily, his entire body relaxed, my stomach twisted in fear.

"It's alright, Yuriko-chan," Sandaime-sama's voice cut through my approaching panic attack like a knife. "You can tell us."

Turning my head towards them, I shyly glanced at their welcoming faces before letting out a heavy sigh. "Um… might be easier just to show you," I said finally. "Invite Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi to party."

All three blinked as the boxes appeared in front of them, questioning them if they wanted to accept my invite, glancing at each other they confirmed they each had one in front of them. "My power… I call it 'The Gamer' because… well… it makes things look like they were a game to me," I explained in a small voice. "I get quest pop ups when things happen sometimes, like when Minato-san asked me to spar with him, the condition was that I had to last a minute against him with a bonus reward for every extra thirty seconds I lasted."

I swallowed as I chanced another look at the trio of the most powerful Konoha ninja seated near me and found them examining the boxes with a curious look.

"And you are able to relate this power to others by inviting them?" Sandaime-sama questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Only in part…" I elaborated, biting my lip. "I experimented with my mom while we were deployed together, when we're in a party, I can track their position health and chakra pool as well as their current status, but while I get stat points to distribute as I wish upon levelling up, others don't, instead theirs is distributed automatically, I'm not quite sure how they are distributed though, but it will allow you to take a look at your own stats, perks and skills."

"How would I do that?" Minato-san questioned as he accepted the invite, his name appearing in the corner of my eye with a level beside his name along with his HP and CP totals. Holy crap he is level 89!

"Just say Status, Skills or Perks respectively," I answered, slowly feeling more confident as I spoke with them.

Sandaime-sama's and Jiraiya-sama's names appeared alongside his shortly after, their levels being 90 and 88 respectively, my god, these three were monsters.

"Fascinating," Sandaime-sama mused as he began looking through what must have been a _massive_ skill page. "I take it these 'levels' would relate to our level of mastery with a jutsu?"

I nodded in confirmation. "Yes, and I recently learned I couldn't start dropping seals for my jutsus until around level 50 with the option to drop another seal every ten levels after that, but it would reduce the power of the jutsu if I do that," I rambled a bit as I talked. "I only maxed out a few like [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] because I used them so much and am really comfortable with them-"

"Relax, kid," Jiraiya-sama rumbled comfortingly, smiling at me reassuringly. "What else is it capable of doing with a… party, was it?"

"Oh! I can set up a communication network with anyone in the party," I informed, relaxing a bit. "It only has a range up to about two and half miles though, and it would look like you're talking to yourself."

"Still handy," Minato-san said approvingly. "I can see why you would be nervous about revealing this, the possibilities are almost endless."

I blush as I nodded slowly. "I… didn't want to be put into a room or something," I mumbled out, shrinking in on myself a bit. "I was afraid that people would try and get the power for themselves somehow, or try and breed me to get more people with access… I'm not even sure if any kids I have _would_ get it, I… I don't even know where it came from… well… not for certain anyways."

"You have a theory?" Minato-san questioned gently, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… when I had gotten I had a dream? Vision? I'm not sure, but _something_ was talking to me through the boxes," I told them, using a partial truth - reincarnation was one can of worms I _didn't_ want to open. "From the tone of it, I guess I'm just amusement for them or something."

The three adults shared a serious look. "Danzo would do a lot to try and get his hands on her if he knew," Jiraiya-sama commented with a grim tone, making Sandaime-sama flinch a bit in response.

"He would… unfortunately," he sighed heavily. "Minato, Jiraiya, this is an S-class secret," he announced after a moment, making me blink as I looked up. "Never say a word of this to anyone else, I will not either, to everyone else, Yuriko-chan here is just another splendid shinobi of Konohagakure."

I stared, slack jawed at Sandaime-sama as the other two shinobi nodded in agreement. "Y-you would do that, for me?" I asked quietly, still in shock.

"Of course," Sandaime-sama assured me with a warm smile. "You are a member of Konohagakure's shinobi corps, and one with such potential, I will protect your freedom as I would any other."

I sniffled as I tried to stem the tears welling up in my eyes, trying to wipe them away with the palm of my hands. "Th-thank you, Hokage-sama," I managed to choke out, an arm dropping around my shoulders comfortingly as Minato-san sat down beside me.

"Of course, Yuriko-chan," it was all he needed to say in order for the tears to start flowing freely in relief.

* * *

 **MANDATORY QUEST COMPLETED!**

 **Spar with Minato Namikaze and last for 1:00 minute(s).**

 **REWARD  
+5,000 EXP, +1,000 Reputation with Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi.**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Last 1:30 minute(s) - COMPLETED  
Last 2:00 minute(s) - INCOMPLETE  
Last 2:30 minute(s) - INCOMPLETE**

 **REWARD  
+5,000 EXP, +1,000 Reputation with Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi for each objective met.**

 **You have gained a level!**

 **Your Reputation with Jiraiya has reached [Friendly] Status!**

 **Your Reputation with Minato Namikaze has reached [Friendly] Status!**

 **Your Reputation with Hiruzen Sarutobi has reached [Friendly] Status!**

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **AN: Damn… emotional man, as usual thanks to SeerKing and one out to Takeshi Yamato for betaing and letting me bounce ideas off of them!**


	9. Yuriko's Stat's page - Age: 9

**Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 41  
 **EXP** : 7,762/21,500 **  
Age:** 9 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Chunin (+25% to all Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP - **1,781 **  
CP -** 5,910  
 **STR -** 41 (51) **  
INT -** 83 **  
DEX -** 98 (122) **  
VIT -** 41 **  
WIS -** 70 **  
LUK -** 27  
 **Ryo** \- 4,672,153  
 **Stat Points:** 5

 **SKILLS**

 **Fire Release: Great Fireball (Active)[Level 50 - MAXED] -** Staple Jutsu of the Uchiha Clan, burn your enemies alive with either a massive ball of fire, or a continuous flame-thrower - Fireball - 200 fire damage with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 100 CP per fireball - Flame-Thrower - 100 fire damage per second, with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 50 CP per second

 **Uchiha Interceptor Fist (Passive)[Level 75 - 4.6%] -** The primary and basic taijutsu of the Uchiha clan, has several offshoot forms but each Uchiha has roots with this technique, makes maximum use of the Sharingan to predict and counter enemy attacks - increases DEX and STR by 25%

 **Intermediate Shurikenjutsu (Passive)[Level 28 - 66.35%] -** You're starting to get fairly accurate with your kunai and shuriken, and can reliably hit a target. Though odds are you'll make the target a pincushion instead of hitting the same place every time - Increases accuracy of thrown items by +45%

 **Advanced Uchiha Style Kenjutsu (Passive)[Level 30 - 31.95%]** \- You have learned how to use the Uchiha style kenjutsu, and people easily recognize that you are talented with the blade. - +72 bonus to DEX and +51% STR when using a sword type weapon, +57% effectiveness to blocking incoming attacks when using a sword type weapon, enables advanced swordfighting special moves

 **Substitution Jutsu (Active)[Level MAX] -** The Ninja get out of death card, and piss off to your enemies who thought you were dead! - Allows you change places with an item up to a large sized dog in weight to avoid an incoming attack you are aware of up to 15 times in a row, costs 10 CP per use

 **Transformation Jutsu (Active)[Level 96 - 21.4%] -** The instant disguise kit! This genjutsu lets you disguise yourself from your enemies but is very fragile and can be disrupted easily. - Can transform into another person that is within 3 feet of your height and 80 lbs your weight. Costs 15 CP/ Second

 **Clone Jutsu (Active)[Level MAX] -** A very basic clone technique, creates illusionary clones that don't have any shadows or creates sound - Can create up to Nineteen clones per use, 10 CP/Clone

 **Relaxation Technique (Active) [Level MAX]** \- the most basic Iryojutsu used by the Medical Ninja, the user uses their chakra to relax the target, washing their fatigue away and stimulating their chakra regeneration, cannot be used on self. - +140% Chakra Regeneration on Target, 20 CP/second.

 **Advanced Iryojutsu (Passive)[Level 55 - 68.54%]** \- You are now able to perform surgeries not only in the hospital, but in the battlefield with a higher success rate than failure rate, congratulations, you can now be considered a Doctor, were it not for the fact you kill people for a living - -50% CP cost for Iryojutsu, +55% effectiveness for Iryojutsu

 **Gentle Healing (Active)[Level 50 - MAX]** \- One of the basic healing jutsus used by Konoha ninja, most effective on minor injuries and is ill suited for major injuries. - Heals 50 HP/Second, costs 25/CP per second

 **Observe (Active)[Level 75 - 54.97%] -** The go to skill of all with the power of the Gamer, with this you can see the stats of various items and people around you! - 10 CP/use

 **Sharingan Stage 3 (Active/Passive)[Level 75 - 69.98%]** \- The so called 'HAX' power of the Naruto World, steal your enemy's jutsu by watching them make their hand seals and throw it back in their faces, plus it'll help you predict their moves and can even trap them in genjutsu while looking through enemy ocular based genjutsu, you can even 'see the future' by predicting the movements of everything in your eyesight have fun, but be warned, opponents with sufficient speed can overcome your predictive abilities!- 25 CP/second when used by non Uchiha, 5 CP/second when used by an Uchiha. +51% DEX when active, can learn opponent's jutsu by watching them form their hand seals, cannot learn elemental kekkei genkai or hiden jutsus.

 **Mystical Palm (Active)[Level MAX]** \- The standard Iryojutsu of medic shinobi everywhere, the [ **Mystical Palm** ] is one of the most versatile Iryojutsu in circulation, including the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu, it band heal your allies or damage your enemies with creative application, one medic nine was even noting saying 'I can heal my enemies to death' - **Healing** \- 150 HP/second, 5 CP/second. **Damage** \- varied depend on usage

 **Chakra Scalpel (Active)[Level MAX]** \- A standard jutsu learned by both the medical profession and the interrogators, this jutsu is capable of cutting solely what the user wishes to cut and nothing else, including targeted organs and leaving the skin intact. - Varied depending on usage

 **[Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel] (Active) [Level 50 - 37.14%] -** An improvised technique combining the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu with the [ **Chakra Flow** ] technique, drastically increasing its cutting ability on organic materials as well as being able to choose what organic material is cut. +75 Damage against organic targets, selection of what organic target cut

 **[Sharingan: Genjutsu] (Active) [Level 33 - 63.98%]** \- An illusionary technique utilizing the sharingan as a medium, the [ **Sharingan: Genjutsu** ] allows the user to influence the target when they meet the user's eyes. - Lower levels are restricted to minor illusions while higher levels are able to induce a hypnotic state in their target

 **[Chakra Flow: Neutral Chakra] (Active) [Level 42 - 0.00%]** \- a versatile technique used by many weapon wielding shinobi and samurai to enhanced their weapons in the field, different types of chakra can cause various effects, but neutral chakra simply enhances the damage and durability by a moderate amount **-** +25 Damage, +25% durability, 20 CP/Second

 **[Fire Release: Chakra Flow] (Active)[Level 49 - 31.58%]** \- Chakra Flow using Fire Natured Chakra, causes the weapon to be enveloped by flames, higher levels allow for greater manipulation of said flames - +50 - 250 fire damage, 50% chance of applying [ **Burning** ] status to target

[ **Fire Release: Blazing Skull** ] **(Active) [Level 40 - 45.91%]** \- Five Seals,

[ **Water Release: Water Mantle** ] **(Active)** **[Level 40 - 11.94%]** \- three seals

 **PERKS**

 **Sealmaster -** Hey, they use Fuuinjutsu seal Bijuu, would you really want to fuck with someone that has turned that art into an art of their own? - +50% EXP bonus to Fuuinjutsu

 **With this sword of mine -** You've always enjoyed the way the light dances off the edge of a sword, some even think you like it even more with the blood of your enemies coating it. - +50% EXP gain to Kenjutsu skills

 **Medic Nin -** 'You don't FUCK with the white mage' you heal your friends and destroy your enemies organs, now you just need to remember where you left your watch! - +100% EXP gain to Iryojutsu, but enemies will try to target you first

 **Feel the Burn! -** Fire has always warmed people in the cold nights, chased predators away with its light, and burned your enemies to ash! You little pyro you, fire is your go to weapon of choice when it comes to dealing with your enemies. Start with Natural Fire Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Fire ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Natural Fire Affinity -** Your chakra has always burned bright, now it's time to show the world just how much by releasing it in white hot flames! - 15% chakra cost reduction to fire ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Natural Water Affinity - -** 15% chakra cost reduction to water ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Gamer's Body -** Your body is that of a Video Game Character… somewhat at least - You recover HP and CP when sleeping - 100% in your bed, 75% in someone else's, 50% in a sleeping bag or tent, 25% on the ground or in the trees

 **Gamer's Mind -** Your have the mind of an RPG Gamer, so keep your calm and make some wise choices… hopefully. You are able to calm yourself more easily, but be careful, extreme emotional distress can still affect you.


	10. Chapter 9: Jonin Advent

I had ended up crying myself to sleep that night, Minato-san taking it with a quiet support that I don't think I could ever repay him for in my lifetime, he had seen me at my lowest and most afraid, and he helped support me through it all. Suddenly, I saw why so many loved him as Hokage, a feeling that was starting to stir within myself, although I never realized it myself.

I woke up with the others at dawn when the sun began to peek over the horizon, I showed them my stat page over breakfast as I allocated the points from leveling up into my DEX, bringing that up to 100, and to my WIS to get that to 73. I was actually as a perk popped up when I confirmed the changes I made.

 **Because your DEX has reach 100, you have received a new perk!  
[Fleet-Footed] - Base speed, evasiveness and accuracy is increased by +50%**

Huh, cool. Following that I began talking with Jiraiya-sama about the different seals I used on my clothing once I was able to get my skills to a high enough level to use them correctly. Even taking my jacket out of my [ **Inventory** ], to both show them how it worked and to show the seal work to Jiraiya-sama who took down some notes on it.

As he was doing that, I was questioning Minato-san on his Hiraishin jutsu, eagerly absorbing everything that he was telling me about it, and from the way he was talking it was like some kind of hybridization of a wormhole and dematerialization. A lot of the details went completely over my head, but I was able to glean a few useful insights, especially with the 'markers' and his awareness of their presence.

That had let to me suggesting a seal that could be used to 'mark' a shinobi's position that is then relayed to a map allowing for real time update on allied troop positions. Sandaime-sama had to raise his voice to break the three of us out of our discussion on how best to implement it to get us back on the road and moving, though he did take our distraction in good humor.

It was a surreal experience for me, a nine year old chunin to be treated as an equal by these three powerful shinobi, being asked for my opinion on current events, my view on how certain jutsus would work best in combination with other jutsus. Surreal, but an experience I wouldn't trade for the world as I remember laughing so hard at a story Minato-san told me about some of his earlier adventures with Jiraiya-sama and his old teammates that I ended up slipping off a branch and face planting on the ground.

It took us a week, but soon enough we approached the border to Tetsu no Kuni, the air getting chiller, prompting us to don the specially made all-weather cloaks that used a tiny bit of our chakra to warm our bodies, I made a mental note to copy the seals onto my clothing aloud, to the amusement of Jiraiya-sama who asked if I was planning wearing more seals than clothing.

My first meeting with the samurai of Tetsu no Kuni was actually… fairly unremarkable, we simply walked up to the border office, stated our names, affiliation and purpose within Tetsu no Kuni before being allowed entrance with a single samurai escort, who was pretty damn quick, able to lead us up to the capital of the country where the meeting was to take place.

As we entered the city I wasn't able to help myself as I looked around at the various buildings and shops that dominated the main street, Minato-san chuckled as he patted my head, causing me to attempt to hide my blush in the high collar of my cloak. Why did I get rid of my face mask? It was so much easier to hide my embarrassment with it on.

We were escorted to the hotel we were assigned, apparently the Tsuchikage's delegation was on the opposite side of the city to ensure there would be no trouble before the meeting.

"Alright, now that we are here, we can talk about your roles," Sandaime-sama announced as we got comfortable in the lounge of the diplomat suite. "Minato, you are attending as my successor, and hopefully, deterrent to prevent Onoki from trying something foolish," he informed Minato who nodded in understanding. "Jiraiya, Yuriko-chan, you both are here as our bodyguards, I suspect you won't be needed, but, better safe than sorry."

Jiraiya-sama patted me on the back when I swallowed nervously. "Relax, kiddo, we wouldn't have brought you along if we didn't think you can handle it," he assured me with a wide grin. "Besides you managed to do pretty well against Minato when he wasn't holding back very much against you, if it does come down to it, you'll be fine."

Swallowing again I took in some of the confidence he was showing in me and nodded firmly, my eyes hardening as I mentally prepared myself for the talks tomorrow. "Right," I vocalized with a heavy breath. "I can do this."

"Good to know," Minato-san said as he ruffled my hair, garnering a squawk of indignation from me. "I'll be counting on your support then."

Oh man… how is it he is able to make me blush so easily!?

I sent a glare to Jiraiya-sama who was chuckling in amusement at the sight of me blushing, and, being the mature and professional nine year old chunin I was… I chucked a throw pillow at his face.

And thus the great pillow war of Tetsu no Kuni began, Minato-san siding with me against his evil teacher as Sandaime-sama showed his true age by coming to the aide of his beleaguered student.

It wasn't until I had curled up in bed with a wide smile on my face that I realized what the trio were doing, they were helping me heal. For two years I had been for fighting and healing without stop, combat rated medics being an extremely rare thing for Konoha, and being one of the few around, a lot of expectations had been place on me, whether consciously or unconsciously.

My mother, bless her heart, tried her best to help me, but she was under the same burden as I was, _and_ grieving her lost husband while helping her daughter grieve her lost father. My mother was a strong woman, no if ands or buts.

The next morning was a solemn affair, there were no funny stories, no jokes, we each went through our morning rituals before getting dressed in our proper full uniforms, ensuring that every crease was in its proper place.

Sandaime-sama gave us each a scrutinizing look as he assembled before him at the door to the hotel room, looking pleased by what he saw, he gave us an approving nod and stepped out, greeting our escort politely and allowing the samurai to led us to the main hall.

My position was to be behind Minato-san's left shoulder while he sat beside Sandaime-sama, Jiraiya-sama standing behind his teacher's right shoulder. As we entered the main hall, we found the Tsuchikage's delegation waiting for us, with only the Tsuchikage looking familiar to me.

I resisted the urge to activate my Sharingan, Minato-san having explained that the samurai could see it as an act of aggression since we are able to cast genjutsu through eye contact with the Sharingan active. That urge became even harder to resist when the Tsuchikage spoke up.

"Are you so desperate for soldiers that you're bringing a kid as one of your bodyguards, Hiruzen?" Onoki growled as he sneered at me.

"Hardly," Sandaime-sama retorted with a small grin. "I brought her along because she is a highly capable kunoichi, although I am certain you already knew that given the bounty you put on her head."

I had a bounty on me!?

It took every inch of my willpower to restrain the urge to gawk at the revelation that I had a bounty, and managed to suppress it to a twitch on my hand, both of which were clasped behind my back. Huh… that would explain why the people targeting me in battle increased at least.

Onoki snarled as Sandaime-sama turned his attempted insult back into his face while an elderly looking man took a seat between the two groups. "If you two are done bickering, may we get down to business?" He requested, sounding as if we was sitting on a beach rather than between two groups of shinobi ready to rip each other apart.

You go badass old man.

The meeting itself was actually, all said and done, a rather boring affair as the two village leaders argued back and forth on who gets what, who pays that, how much X is worth. Although it was fun seeing Sandaime-sama turn every one of Onoki's barbs against him, and I think I did a great job of keeping myself professional like Minato-san, and _not_ like Jiraiya-sama who was hurling insults of his own back at Onoki whenever the man would start getting obstinate… which was often.

 _ **Finally**_ after nearly twelve hours of nearly uninterrupted arguing - pausing only for a few breaks along with lunch and dinner - the ceasefire was signed and both sides were getting ready to leave. That was when Onoki designed to address me again. "I look forward to the day you head lands on my desk, Uchiha brat," he growled to me, obviously trying to intimidate me and slight Sandaime-sama for bringing someone 'weak' to negotiations. "I'll enjoy gouging your eyes out for my shinobi even more.

Glancing at Hokage-sama out of the corner of my eyes, he nodded, giving me the go ahead to speak for myself I turned to the Tsuchikage and have him the sweetest smile I could muster. "And I look forward to castrating each and every one of the assassins you send after me, bronzing their balls, and then having them delivered to you," I replied in my best 'child-like' voice as I clapped my hands together. "You can start a collection with them!"

The room was silent for a moment before Jiraiya-sama started belting out in laughter, clapping me on the shoulder in approval as he bent over, the Tsuchikage sputtering in rage as his guards started to hurriedly escort him out of the room before he decides to attack me and anger the samurai.

"Kid… you are my hero!" Jiraiya-sama announced as he gasped for air between chuckles. "Did you see the fence-sitter's face as he tried to process what you just said!"

Minato-san was much more restrained as he simply chuckled a bit, patting my shoulder as we headed towards the exit that would lead to our hotel. "Well done, Yuriko-chan," he told me approvingly. "Not many would be willing to risk the Tsuchikage's wrath like that."

I flushed in response, ducking my head as I tried to lift the collar of my flak vest to cover my cheeks. "I was only able to do so because you all were here," I managed to mumble out, what was _wrong_ with me!? I _never_ had this much trouble speaking with someone before!

"All the same, Yuriko-chan, you managed to keep your calm before a superior shinobi as he tried to make you lose your cool and turned it back against him, masterfully done," Sandaime-sama said approvingly. "Although, in the future I would recommend using less crass language, it is ill becoming of a lady to speak like that after all."

My blush deepened as my head dipped in acknowledgement. "Yes, Hokage-sama," I replied In an embarrassed voice.

"Shall we get some rest, it is going to be a long journey home, after all," Sandaime-sama suggested as we approached our hotel. "But at least we return with good news this time."

* * *

The journey back home to Konohagakure was as enjoyable as the trip to Tetsu no Kuni, I was especially surprised when all three of them started teaching me little tricks here and there, like Jiraiya-sama showing me how to increase the power of an explosive note with just a couple of brush strokes.

Minato-san showed me how to 'compress' my seals, making them smaller without losing any of their effectiveness, and Sandaime-sama was a treasure trove of ninjutsu tips and tricks, he even helped me get started on the second stage of Nature Manipulation training for both fire and water. Setting a rock on fire and reversing the direction of a stream, respectively.

Unlike our trip out, however, our return was greeted with a large amount of fanfare as the news of the ceasefire spread and many of the shinobi began to return back home. It was… strange, standing between Minato-san and Jiraiya-sama behind Sandaime-sama as we walked down Main Street to the Hokage Tower for the debrief.

I was pretty sure, many people didn't notice me, considering just who was standing around me, but I did notice a few Uchiha in the crowd point me out to their fellows and call out my name, prompting me to wave nervously in return.

Soon enough we were in the meeting hall of the Hokage Tower, I was directed to stand beside Minato-san for the meeting instead of being told to wait outside like I assumed was going to happen. We then proceeded to give our report to the assembled clan heads - Fugaku-sama giving me a speculative look as I stood beside the future Yondaime - and reported on our gains and losses as a result of the treaty signed.

Questions were raised and answered, I was even asked a question by a man who could only be Shikaku Nara about things on the front lines alongside Sunagakure, and thankfully I managed suppress the nervous feeling of standing beside Minato-san - seriously why was I feeling like this? - enough to answer his question professionally, admitting that my information may be out of date.

Eventually the questions died down and Sandaime-sama dismissed the assorted clan heads, Fugaku-sama pausing to send me another contemplative look before leaving. "Well, I would say that was a successful mission, wouldn't you?" Sandaime-Samantha asked cheerfully as he stood in front of his d so in the chamber. "There is just one more item to be covered, Jiraiya, Minato, your assessments?"

I blinked in confusion at his question as Jiraiya-sama stepped forward. "She remained professional throughout the meeting, kept her cool when the fence sitter addressed her directly, she definitely has the skills," he listed, making me realize that they were assessing _me._ "With a bit more experience under her belt, she'll go a long way I think."

Sandaime-sama nodded before turning to Minato-san who took that as his own cue. "I agree with sense I on all counts, she showed the necessary level of professionalism required, she is also well versed in tactics, collaboration techniques and even political situations," he summarized, I blinked in confusion, completely lost at what they're were talking about. "I think she's ready for her promotion to Jonin."

Oh, that's what they were talking about. Wait… "What?" I questioned in an absolute deadpan, staring at Sandaime-sama who smiled in response.

"Well then, since you have the support of two of your commanding officers, I hear by approve your promotion to Jonin, congratulations, Jonin Uchiha," he told me with an amused smile at my dropped jaw. "We took the opportunity of the mission to Tetsu no Kuni to test to see if you were ready for a promotion, the Jonin Commander at your last promotion forwarded a recommendation after you were forced to temporarily take control of the medic division when your mother was injured three months back," he explained to me, I recalled the day he was talking about, I had flown by the seat of my pants that entire freaking _week_!

"That is not all, however," Jiraiya commented as he fought back a grin.

"Indeed, with me stepping down soon, Minato will be needing a set of guards he can trust with his life," Sandaime-sama informed me, my eyes widening as I realized where this was going.

"I would like to offer the position as one of my bodyguards to you, Yuriko-chan," Minato-san told me with a slight smile on his face. "You are young, yes, but you have length of potential for growth and I would be honoured to have you at my side when I become Hokage."

I began to feel lightheaded. Minato-san wanted _me_ to be apart of his guard force? "I accept!" I shouted unintentionally, unable to control my volume due to my shock. "The honour will be mine, Minato-sama!"

"I look forward to working with you then," he told me cheerfully as a new alert popped up.

* * *

 **MANDATORY QUEST COMPLETED!**

 **Escort the Sandaime Hokage to the Peace talks with the Sandaime Tsuchikage!**

 **REWARD  
25,000 EXP, +15,000 Reputation with Konohagakure, +5,000 Reputation with Iwagakure, Promotion to Jonin**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Made the Sandaime Tsuchikage lose his cool while keeping your own. - COMPETED  
Earn a position amongst the Yondaime's Guard - COMPLETED  
Entrust Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya with your secret - COMPLETED**

 **REWARD  
+15,000 EXP, +5,000 Reputation with Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi  
+15,000 EXP, [Hokage's Bodyguard] perk acquired, +5,000 Reputation with Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi  
+15,000 EXP, +7,500 Reputation with Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi**

* * *

 **MANDATORY QUEST COMPLETED!**

 **You have been made a genin early due to the war raging in the Elemental Nations, defend your home and allies from invasion while insuring your own survival!**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Survive to the end of the Third Shinobi World War without Konohagakure or any of your allied nations being destroyed!**

 **REWARD  
+25,000 EXP, +5,000 Reputation with Konohagakure, +2,500 Reputation with allied nations, [War Veteran] perk acquired.**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVES  
Survive with your entire squad - COMPLETED  
Earn a place in the Bingo Book - COMPLETED  
Escort the Sandaime to the treaty signing - COMPLETED**

 **REWARD  
+5,000 EXP, +1,000 Reputation with your teammates and Jonin-sensei  
+15,000 EXP, +5,000 Reputation with Konohagakure  
+15,000 EXP, +5,000 Reputation with Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi**

* * *

My eyes bugged a bit as I stared at the pop ups before me.

"Something big kid?" Jiraiya-sama questioned as he raised an eyebrow at me.

"S-seven levels," I managed to stammer out. "I've… I've never had that big of a jump."

Jiraiya-sama blinked at me with a grin. "Oh yeah, the 'quest' of escorting the old man gave you that much?" he asked me.

"And the bonus objectives, and the quest for surviving the war and _it's_ bonus objectives," I managed to explain, still staring at in shock before shaking my head. "Also… I have a Bingo Book entry?"

Sandaime-sama chuckled a bit as he pulled a little black book out of his desk and tossed it to me, allowing me a chance to leaf through it quickly before I came across my own entry.

* * *

 **[Bloody Scalpel Yuriko] - B-Ranked Bounty  
Official Name: Yuriko Uchiha  
Age: 9  
Rank: Chunin  
Specialty: Kenjutsu/Iryojutsu  
Most Used Jutsu: Unique Chakra Flow with the properties of the Chakra Scalpel Technique - WARNING: TECHNIQUE IS HIGHLY LETHAL EVEN WITH A GRAZE!  
Bounty: 1,000,000 Ryo - Payable by Iwagakure, Kumogakure and Kirigakure  
Rating: Engaged with Caution**

* * *

"Huh," I replied as I stared at the picture they used for my page, namely me with splashes of blood on my face as I glared elsewhere with an active sharingan. "That's… something."

Jiraiya-sama chuckled as he patted my back. "Welcome to the big leagues kid, chances are the Fence Sitter will probably bump it up a bit in revenge after the meeting," he pointed out. "But don't worry too much about it, aside from the odd bounty hunter not many will go out of their way to try and get you."

"Plus, with your position as the Hokage's Bodyguard, you will spending plenty of time of in Konoha with your duties to Minato," Sandaime-sama informed me gently.

"Plus, I will be doing some training with you and your new squad," Minato-sama elaborated. "There are a few techniques that I want you all to learn."

My heart skipped a beat at his words, a chance to learn from the _Yondaime Hokage_ himself! Fuck yeah! "I look forward to it, Minato-sama!" I said aloud, a bit louder than I intended, getting a chuckle from him.

"Very well then, you are dismissed for the rest of the day, Yuriko-chan," Sandaime-sama told me. "Please report back here tomorrow morning to start your assignment."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" I replied, saluting proudly before I left the room, a skip in my step as I left.

Holy crap, sometimes my gamer life sucks, but then days like this roll around and things become awesome!

* * *

"Ah, welcome back, Yuriko-san!" one of the guards called out. "Heard you were apart of Hokage-sama's guard retinue to Tetsu no Kuni."

"Yup!" I replied cheerfully, smiling at one of the guards. "I even got to talk with Minato-sama and Jiraiya-sama about fuinjutsu while we were travelling!"

"Oho? That must've been quite the conversation," his partner said, grinning at me. "Pick up any good tricks?"

"Minato-sama taught me about seal compression, Jiraiya-sama showed me how to enhance my explosive notes, and Sandaime-sama actually taught me the next stage of nature manipulation training," I explained, my excitement clear in my voice as I spoke about my experience. "Plus I got to spar with Minato-sama, got completely destroyed in under two minutes though."

The pair stared at me with a slightly baffled expression before chuckling in amusement at I raved. "Well, before you head home, Fugaku-sama wanted to meet you at the main family building," the first one told me with a grin. "Not sure what he wanted to talk to you about, but he seemed pretty lost in thought."

I blinked before remembering the curious looks he had been sending me during the meeting. "Alright, I'll head over and see him now," I assured the two of them as I passed through into the compound. "See ya later!"

I was greeted by a number of people as I walked through the district, several of them stopping to chat with me for a moment with a few of the shinobi calling out to me in greeting. Finally I was able to make it to the home of the clan head of the Uchiha and knocked on the door.

I paused as the door was opened by a child around four years old, the tear tracks alongside his nose being a clear indicator on just who this child is. "Yes?" Itachi Uchiha questioned, staring up at me with wide eyes.

It took every inch of my willpower not to squee in excitement at the adorable look on his face, how could he be so cute as a kid!? "Hello, is your father in? He requested that I come meet him," I told the child, smiling at him.

"Okay, please come in," Itachi told me, stepping back to allow me entry before running off deeper into the house, a dark haired woman coming in shortly after he left.

"And you must be Yuriko-chan, welcome," Mikoto Uchiha greeted me with a kind smile. "Shigure-san has been bragging about you since you've graduated."

I flushed a bit in response at my mother's actions as I removed my heeled sandals from my feet. "Thank you for welcoming me," I told her. "Is Fugaku-sama in?"

"Of course, he's in his office," Mikoto told me as she gestured for me to follow her. "I hear you were on the guard detail for Hokage-sama's trip?"

Man, that story is spreading far isn't it? "Yeah, it was a very informative trip," I replied with a smile. "I was able to learn a lot while travelling with them."

"Really, they taught you something?" Mikoto looked at me in surprise as I beamed.

"Little things, but yeah!" I confirmed. "Sandaime-sama actually helped me with the second stage of my Nature Manipulation!"

"That's good to know," Mikoto replied, smiling back at me, something in her eyes as we came up to a door. "Fugaku, dear, Yuriko-chan is here to see you."

"Send her in," Fugaku's voice filtered through the door, prompting Mikoto to open it and allowed me entry. The head of my clan was seated at a desk, slowly working his way through a stack of paperwork as I entered. "Please, sit," he requested, gesturing me to the chair across from him. "I just wanted to know about the trip you took with Hokage-sama."

I tilted my head a bit as I sat down, something niggling at the back of my mind as I answered him. "I was a bit surprised that he wanted me to be a part of his detail," I explained, flushing a bit in embarrassment. "Well… I think the entire thing was something of a test… because after the meeting, Hokage-sama promoted me to Jonin," I smiled at the memory. "I was also given my new posting assignment, sorry, but I'm actually not sure if I'm supposed to talk about it yet, Fugaku-sama."

He nodded in understanding. "That is fine, you don't need to tell me," he assured me, knowing that secrecy was needed as a shinobi. "What happened during the mission?"

"Um… well I sparred with Minato-sama for a bit," I admitted with a shrug. "I also talked with him and Jiraiya-sama about fuinjutsu and Sandaime-sama showed me the second stage of nature manipulation."

Fugaku nodded with a contemplative look. "I see, and how does your training progress? As I understand it you were working on developing your fuinjutsu when you left for the front at Kaze no Kuni?"

"Yeah, I was working on clothing enforcement seals, mostly minor stuff right now, but with Minato-sama's help in showing me how to compress seals I should be able to improve them quite a bit," I admitted with a shrug. "Also, Jiraiya-sama taught me a few tricks to improve explosive notes, it was really helpful."

"How is your mother doing?" he asked, frowning a bit as he took in the information I told him.

"She's… coping," I said looking unsure. "My father's death had hit her hard, but… she was kept busy on the front lines…"

"Yes, as I understand it, she ended up having to take command of the medics there when the last commander ended up dying during an assault," Fugaku-sama said, looking at me for confirmation.

"Yes, Nobuyoshi-taicho was killed when an infiltrator managed to slip in during an attack on our base," I confirmed, wincing at the memory of that particularly devastating attack. "We were told that a replacement was going to be sent… but none ever arrived so she ended up just staying in command with me as her second."

"Quite the accomplishment from one your age," the clan head said in a complimentary tone. "As I understand it you have been doing a lot of work with the Chakra Scalpel."

"Yeah, I kinda fell into it, to be honest," I flushed a bit, trying to resist the urge to hide my cheeks the collar of my flak vest. "I ended up developing it further in combat, it's… not exactly suitable for normal sparring matches."

"That's putting it lightly," Fugaku-sama said giving me a dry grin. "If I remember some of the reports right, you ended up killing the assassin that killed the former medical commander by shredding his lungs with only a small cut?"

"Yes, the scalpel is mostly an exterior effect, I admit, but it _is_ capable of affecting the internal organs without breaking the skin," I explained the principle behind my primary technique, feeling a small growth of confidence as I spoke, Mikoto-san returning with a tray of tea for us as I spoke. "So, I ended up experimenting when I was in the field and managed to come up with a few offshoot techniques to use with [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ]."

"I have to say, you are making impressive progress in your career," he told me calmly as he sipped on his tea. "Especially with taking such an often overlooked jutsu and turning it into a specialty of yours."

"Thank you, Fugaku-sama," I replied, bowing my head a bit. "I had a lot of help with it though, my brother and father taught me a lot on the Uchiha taijutsu and kenjutsu, and my mother assisted me with a lot of the theory work for my jutsus."

"But you made use of those supports excellently, and managed to garner the attention of Hokage-sama himself, no small feat," he said approvingly. "With time and training, I'd wager you'd surpass Tsunade-sama."

My cheeks burned from his compliment, fact of the matter was, Tsunade-sama was hands down the _best_ medic ninja in the world, bar none, even if myself, Saya-taicho and my mother were to somehow combine, we'd still probably wouldn't match her skills. "I don't know about that," I replied modestly.

"Nonsense, you are an Uchiha, and we do have a tendency to be overachievers when we put our minds to something," I couldn't help but let out a little giggle at his half-joke. "As I understand it, your brother and mother are still out in the field, dealing with the last of the clean up operations out there, please, stay for dinner tonight."

I blinked in response to his offer and glanced over to Mikoto-san who smiled at me encouragingly. "Ah, I'd be honored, Fugaku-sama," I replied after a second. "Thank you for having me."

"It'll be ready soon," Mikoto told us as she stepped out of the room, sending a grin our way.

"So, why don't you tell me some more about the Kaze no Kuni front, I've read the reports and I would like to get your perspective on things," I blinked, but nodded in agreement and settled myself in for the conversation.

* * *

Dinner with the Main Family was an… interesting experience, Fugaku-sama was a very stern person, but he did have a rather dry sense of humor to him that could be hard to miss if one wasn't either an Uchiha, or used to dealing with them. Mikoto-san was a surprisingly energetic woman, doting on me and her son enough to make us blush, and little Itachi-kun was… well… quiet for the most part, he had obviously seen the effects of what the war did if the small winces he'd try to cover up when the conversation came up were any indication.

He did warm up to me eventually, however, asking me questions about the places I'd seen, and his expression of wonder when I told him about Tetsu no Kuni was downright adorable, especially when I told him about all the snow that had been on the ground. It was obvious he was a smart kid and objectively knew about snow and the weather, but it was still something else apparently to hear about an entire country covered by it.

After dinner I helped Mikoto-san with the clean up to only a light amount of protest, the older woman only putting up the barest resistance to me helping her before saying my goodbyes to head home. It was when I was laying in bed that I remembered something, Fugaku had planned a coup in the canon timeline of the show, was that what this meeting was about? Seeing if I agreed with that sentiment, or was it something else?

Letting out a groan, I rolled over and shut those thoughts out of my head. Nothing I could do about it now, and I had to report in for my assignment tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning I couldn't help but brim with excitement as I went through my morning routine, getting ready for my first _official_ day as a Jonin. While I was getting dressed I paused as I reached for my flak vest and tilted my head in thought before opening my [ **Inventory** ] and pulling out the [ **Crimson Chakra Jacket** ] and pulling it on instead of the flak vest.

Checking my reflection in my bedroom mirror I made a few adjustments to the fit before nodding in satisfaction and headed out the door. It was still very early in the morning when I left, the only people out were the early riser civilians that were getting their shops ready for the day, and fellow shinobi either heading to get their own assignment returning home from theirs.

I made good progress through the village, taking to the rooftops to avoid getting stopped by the occasional civilian who wanted to strike up a conversation with the passing shinobi. "Jonin Yuriko Uchiha to see Hokage-sama," I told the receptionist who looked over the appointment list and nodded, waving me through to the office proper.

Inside I was greeted by Sandaime-sama with Jiraiya-sama and Minato-sama on either side of him, three other jonin standing before him. "Ah, just in time, come on in, Yuriko-chan," Sandaime-sama requested, gesturing for me to join the other jonin. "Gentlemen, this will be the fourth member of your platoon, Yuriko Uchiha, Yuriko-chan, these will be your teammates, Raido Namiashi, Genma Shiranui and Iwashi Tatami."

"Please look after me, senpais," I replied respectfully, bowing a bit to them.

"Pleased to meet you," Genma-senpai replied, rolling the senbon around his mouth. "It'll be good to have a proper medic on the team."

I smirk a bit in response. "Well, I'm not _just_ a medic you know," I told him proudly, making the three chuckle.

"Considering what I've heard from the front lines, I'm not going to argue that," Raido-senpai told me with a theatrical shudder.

"Indeed," Sandaime-sama said, getting our attention back to him. "Now, the four of you will be assigned to Minato in one week time when he is officially announced as my successor, for the next week you will be training with him to ensure that the four of you are able to work together."

"There is also a technique that I wish to teach to the four of you, a variant on the Hiraishin," Minato-sama continued, stepping forward. "The Flying Thunder Formation Technique, when used properly, it will allow the for of you to teleport as one to a marker placed on a person, in this case, myself."

I blinked in surprise before recalling that I _had_ seen it used in my past life on the show.

"Just for confirmation, but we aren't to say anything about us being assigned to Minato-san in relation to him becoming the Yondaime, correct?" Iwashi-senpai questioned, stepping forward.

"Correct, I'm sure there are already rumours of Minato succeeding me, but I would like it to remain that way," Sandaime-sama requested. "Your new position will be obvious during Minato's inauguration next week."

"Understood, Hokage-sama!" we all replied, saluting, getting a nod from Sandaime-sama.

Minato-sama stepped forward with a smile. "Well then, shall we get started with our training then?" he offered, getting four nods of varying enthusiasm in return.

* * *

The next week had been a draining one, in a rather good way though, Minato-sama putting us through our paces drilling in various formations utilizing the Flying Thunder Formation, the technique itself requiring three of us to use it with the fourth in the middle - most often being myself - ready to take action upon being teleported.

It was this time that I had first met Kushina Uzumaki. I was accompanying Minato-sama to his and Kushina-san's home after he convinced me to join them for dinner that night. We were greeted by Kushina-san as we entered, the woman pausing as I followed nervously after Minato-sama, looking me over with intense eyes before I suddenly found myself being held to the _very_ enthusiastic Kushina-san who was fawning over me.

Apparently she thought my professionalism was 'adorable'. I'm a lethal jonin, not adorable thank you very much!

I was quickly welcomed into their home after that, Kushina-san bustling me into the kitchen to sit me down as she chattered away, jumping from one subject to the next, somehow I actually managed to keep up with the woman's conversation topics and managed to get my own words in.

As we chatted we ended getting up onto a mutually interesting topic for all three of us, that being fuinjutsu. "So, you see with a little adjustments to the array on the edges, that would allow the imprisonment jutsu to be remotely triggered instead of needing contact with the seal itself," Kushina-san rambled from the stove she was cooking at. "I've been talking with the T&I guys and they're going to be running experiments with it to see if it is actually feasible for use."

I nodded, showing her I understood what she was saying. "It would actually be useful on the field as well, I remember when we were trying to capture a Kirigakure commander, squirrelly bastard kept slipping the bonds," I groused with a sigh. "Plus he was a Hozuki so trying to keep a paper tag on him was almost impossible."

"Oh tell me about it! While I wasn't on the Kaze no Kuni front like you were, I did face one in Kusa no Kuni was a bastard to pin down," Kushina said, sighing in agreement as she lifted the pot from the stove and placed it on the table, allowing me to see what she had been cooking, and I don't know why I was surprised, but it was ramen. "But, dinner is ready!"

I was actually kinda ashamed to admit, but I never _had_ ramen when I arrived, and that night with Kushina-san and Minato-sama was my first time having it, much to the aghast shock of Kushina-san.

I honestly feel in love with the noodle dish with the first bite, practically inhaling my first bowl without even realizing it, much to my embarrassment as I let out a loud belch from eating too quickly.

"Thank you for dinner, Kushina-san," I said as I helped clean up after dinner, joining the redhead in washing the dishes. "It was delicious."

"Of course, it was ramen!" Kushina-san proudly declared with a wide grin. "I have to admit, I was rather surprised when Minato-kun told me about you, Yuriko-chan."

I paused, my eyes widening as my face heated a bit. "Minato-sama talked about me?" I squeaked out in surprise, making Kushina-san giggle, a knowing look of some kind in her violet eyes.

"Yup, when he told me that you were being assigned as one of his guards, I just _knew_ I had to meet you, and I must say, you are just the most adorable jonin there is!" she said praisingly, making me flush under her praise, I'm not adorable kami-dammit! "Not even Kakashi-kun was adorable as you are when he first became a jonin!"

I shuffled a bit in response. "I'm nothing special," I tried to respond only to get off by the redhead.

"Of _course_ you are! You _must_ be related to Obito-kun, he was just as modest as you are!" she told me, making me freeze, realization filling me, I forced my body to continue moving as I pushed down the knowledge that I failed to prevent the creation of Tobi. "Your family is still deployed, correct?"

I nodded in confirmation, glad for the distraction from the topic I was thinking about. "Yeah, I got word that they'll be back the day before the inauguration," I told her, putting a smile on my face. "I have to admit, the house kinda feels empty without them around though…"

"Well, that settles that then; you're staying here until they get back!" Kushina-san declared loudly to me, making me blink and look up at the older woman. "Minato-kun, get the guest room ready!"

Minato-sama chuckled at his… fiance's? Girlfriend's? Enthusiasm, surely he'll save me from whatever terrible thing Kushina-san had planned. "I figured you'd say that, it's already prepared for her," he assured Kushina-san.

"Oh great, that means I get to play dress up with Yuriko-chan tomorrow!" Kushina announced happily.

Minato-sama you traitor!

Despite what my conscious mind was thinking, I couldn't help the feeling of warmness fill me as the two accepted me into their home without reservation.

I _will_ save them.

Because I love them.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 48  
 **EXP** : 1,262/24,500 **  
Age:** 9 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Jonin (+50% to all Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
** HP - 2,404  
CP - 7,780  
 **STR -** 48 (60) - Increased from 41 **  
INT -** 96 - Increased from 83 **  
DEX -** 110 (137) increased from 98 **  
VIT -** 48 - Increased from 41 **  
WIS -** 80 - Increased from 73 **  
LUK -** 40 - Increased from 27  
 **Ryo** \- 4,672,153

 **New Perks!**

 **[Fleet-Footed] -** Base speed, evasiveness and accuracy is increased by +50%

 **[War Veteran] -** You have walked through the gates of hell and have come out changed, but you have learned skills that you will carry with you forever, and people will always respect the sacrifice you made. +25% to EXP gains in combat, +25% to reputation gains

 **[Hokage's Bodyguard] -** You are one of a select few trusted enough to guard the leader of your village. Access to Flying Thunder Formation and +25% to all reputation gains with all factions within Konohagakure

 **Yuriko's Reputation Page**

 **Konohagakure - 12700/25000 - Exalted**

 **Uchiha Clan - 3010/10000 - Honored  
Shigure Uchiha - 2500/25000 - Exalted  
** **Genrai Uchiha - 8000/10000 - Honored** **  
Sakaki Uchiha - 25000/25000 - Exalted  
Fugaku Uchiha - 0/5000 - Well Liked  
Mikoto Uchiha - 0/5000 - Well Liked  
Itachi Uchiha - 0/5000 - Well Liked**

 **Yamanaka Clan - 1750/2500 - Neutral  
Chika Yamanaka - 3500/10000 - Honored  
Fuyuko Yamanaka - 0/2500 - Neutral**

 **Civilians - 500/2500 Neutral  
Aoi Nanase 3500/10000 - Honored**

 **Academy 3150/5000 - Well Liked  
Konjo Asai 4500/5000 - Well Liked**

 **Sarutobi Clan  
Hiruzen Sarutobi - 0/25000 - Exalted**

 **Namikaze Clan  
Minato Namikaze - 0/25000 - Exalted**

 **Shinobi Forces  
Jiraiya - 0/25000 - Exalted  
Hasai Natto - 3500/10000 - Honored  
Genma Shiranui - 0/5000 - Well Liked  
Raido Namiashi - 0/5000 - Well Liked  
Iwashi Tatami - 0/5000 - Well Liked**

 **Uzumaki Clan  
Kushina Uzumaki - 0/7500 - Friendly**


	11. Chapter 10: Dusk and the Dawn

"Yuriko-chan!" My mother called out in greeting as she rushed up to give me a tight hug that I gladly returned to her with equal force, Sakaki-nii-san following shortly after her, smiling at me over our mother's shoulder. "Are you alright, were you injured on the mission, did everything go alright?"

I giggled in response to my mother's series of rapid fire questions, patting her on her back to assure her. "Yes I'm fine, mom," I told her warmly. "I wasn't injured and everything went as smoothly as it could have, I was even promoted."

"I heard about that!" My mother said cheerfully as she finally pulled away, smiling at me. "And I think you grew another couple of inches on me young lady."

I blushed in response as my brother came up and ruffled my hair. "Heya squirt, heard you pissed the Tsuchikage off something fierce at the meeting," he told me with a chuckle.

"He was throwing threats around and I told him that I would enjoy sending him the brassed balls of his assassins back to him," I replied with a grin. "I did also suggest he could start a collection of out of them!"

My brother started laughing as my mother gaped at me. "Yuriko Uchiha, who taught you how to talk like that?" she questioned fiercely.

"You did when we were attacked by that Iwa-nin!" I shot back, matching her glare.

My mom blinked before letting out an 'ah' sound. "Oh, that's alright then," she informed dismissively, making me and my brother start laughing again.

"Yuriko-chan!" A body impacted me from behind, making me stagger a bit under the weight of Chika-chan as she glomped me. "I've missed you so much! Are you okay! I heard you got promoted again! Did you really escort Hokage-sama to the ceasefire signing?"

"Don't think she can say anything with you continually questioning her there, Chika-chan," Aoi-kun said as he approached, looking less tense than when he was on the field in Kaze no Kuni, Hasai-sensei not far behind him.

"I missed you too, Chika-chan," I giggled, hugging my friend in return. "And yes, I _did_ get promoted."

"Congratulations then, Yuriko," Hasai-sensei told me, giving me a proud smile. "You earned it after Kaze no Kuni."

"Thank you sensei," I replied brightly. "What about you two and your snazzy new vests!"

My two friends smiled brightly in response as they adjusted the Chunin vests in response to my question. "We got promoted just after you left," Aoi-kun explained. "Hopefully this means we can start going on higher ranked missions together again."

I wasn't able to hide my wince from the two of them. "I wish I could guys, but I'm not sure how often I will be able to," I admitted with an apologetic smile to them. "I was given a new posting to go with my new rank, sorry."

Aoi-kun and Chika-chan both had disappointed looks on their faces while Hasai-sensei gave me an understanding nod. "Well, I guess we'll just have to look forward to when we _can_ go on missions together again!" Chika-chan said brightly, trying to break the somewhat sour mood that had descended upon us.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance eventually," nii-san told us as he stepped forward. "Now, how about we all go out and celebrate all of your promotions, it'll be on me."

"Well I hope your ready for us to eat you out of house and home then!" Aoi-kun shouted challengingly, causing the rest of us to laugh as we made our way towards one of the restaurant's owned by the Akamichi's, picking up more friends and comrades as we walked.

* * *

I could feel my chest swelling with pride as I stood at attention behind Minato-sama on top of the Hokage Tower, before the entire village, shinobi gathering on the rooftops while civilians milled in the streets below as Minato-sama recited his pledge to protect the village from all threat internal and external before Sandaime-sama became the first Hokage in history to actually retire and passed the symbolic hat onto Minato-sama who was now wearing his signature white cloak.

Then, myself, Raido-senpai, Genma-senpai and Iwashi-senpai stepped forward as one and knelt down to Minato-sama. "We swear, as loyal shinobi of Konohagakure and Hi no Kuni, we shall serve the Yondaime Hokage until death or our services are no longer required," we recited with practiced ease - Raido-senpai was very insistent on that - the Hokage's Guard oath. "We shall be your sword and shield, to be used as you see fit and guided by your hand alone."

With those words recited, the members of Sandaime-sama's Hokage guard stepped forward symbolically passing on a ninjato, the weapons themselves being only ceremonial and nature - not that they weren't functional weapons, signifying us as the guards of the new Hokage while they continued to protect the former.

The crowd roared in response as the ceremony concluded, cheering Minato-sama on as he stood over them, the wind blowing at just the right angle to catch his cloak, allowing it to billow around him as the wind carried leaves in front of him. I allowed myself a smile as I stood at attention behind him, feeling a sense of belonging as I knew I was where I should be.

* * *

My mother and brother had been invited to the Namikaze household to join in the festivities of celebrating Minato-sama's inauguration as the Yondaime Hokage, the two of them telling me how proud their were of me before my professional image had been completely ruined by Kushina-san, now showing signs of her pregnancy with Naruto, crashed into me, babbling excitedly about how adorable I looked up there between the adults.

My mother's jaw dropped as my brother fell over in laughter as I feebly protested for the hundredth time that I was a professional kunoichi, _not adorable_! But that just broke my mother out of her shock as she joined Kushina-san in thoroughly embarrassing me, much to the amusement of the other guests.

It was an enjoyable night and one that I would always look back on with a fond smile as I remembered laughing with my brother as my mom completely humiliated my senpais in arm wrestling. Struggling against my mother's and Kushina-san's gripe shouting at someone to save me as they dragged me away to play dress up, although I did managed to convince them to drag a stunned Kakashi into the mess, which is coincidentally my first meeting with the teen genius.

He looked adorable giving me a death glare in the pink dress Kushina-san and my mother forced him into.

It was towards the end of the night when I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, Jiraiya-sama drunkenly singing a lewd sailor's song of some kind to everyone's enjoyment.

Feeling a presence beside me I looked over to see my brother standing there with a fond smile on his face as he joined me. "You're really growing up fast there, squirt," he commented softly as he sat down next to me on the swinging bench set up on the porch in the backyard. "Becoming a member of the Hokage's Guard Platoon is a pretty big step, how you feeling about it?"

I smiled in response, leaning into him as he placed an arm around me. "I feel ready for it," I admitted, closing my eyes for a second as I enjoyed the warmth of my brother's presence. "It's hard to explain, but… I really want to protect Minato-sama," I could feel heat building on my cheeks a bit as I spoke. "I mean, I know he's incredibly strong and smart,, and I'm just a kid who's gotten lucky to have gotten a few things right for myself… but whenever he looks at me, it feels like he's looking at an equal… and… it makes me feel really happy inside and like my heart wants to break out of my chest and I don't know why and-"

My brother cut me off, placing a finger on my lips to quiet me. "Because, you love him," he said knowingly, making my eyes widen as I looked up at him in disbelief. "We Uchiha arena known for doing things by half measures, and that goes doubly true for our emotions, when we love we do it with our entire being, and when we hate we feel it down to our toes, it is the source of our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness."

I watched as he reached for the glass he had set on the wicker coffee table beside him, missing his first attempt to grab it even though he was looking right at it before grabbing it on his second try. "How bad is your eyesight?" I asked him in concern, rising myself up to my knees to place a glowing hand on either side of his head.

He grimaced in response. "About halfway gone almost," he admitted in response, allowing me to run my healing chakra through his system, even though he knew it wouldn't do anything for his sight. "I think the rate has been increased a bit since I learned how to completely manifest the Susano'o."

I frowned deeply in response as I desperately tried to find a way to heal his eyesight with my chakra. "There has to be a way to restore your eyesight," I said desperately as I cut off the flow of chakra. "I mean, we know Madara had the Mangekyou since he was only just a few years older than me and he never went blind…"

"There is only one way to restore the sight taken by the Mangekyou Sharingan," my brother grimly stated, my heart clenching as I _knew_ the words that were going to come out of his mouth. "By transplanting the eyes of a direct blood relative who has unlocked the Mangekyou Sharingan into your own."

"Then… we just need to trade eyes if I unlock mine then!" I told him, not caring if the others could hear me.

My brother shook his head. "That doesn't work, Yuriko-chan," he told me softly. "It just makes the rate of decay worse, the eyes _must_ be _directly_ implanted into the recipient's, one must sacrifice their sight forever for the other to regain theirs."

"That… there must be a way to avoid that… if I research it then maybe-"

"Yuriko-chan, thank you, but I have already come to terms with it," he cut me off, hugging me tightly. "And I decided, that if the day comes and you experience enough grief that you awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, I will give up my light so that your will continue on."

"O-onii-san," it was the only thing I could get out between my choked sobs as I tightly hugged him in response.

"I love you, little flower," he whispered into my ear, the nickname he used for me before I entered the academy caused more tears to well up in my eyes. "Even when you were just a child and had no idea what you had done… you shone a light into my life when it was the darkest, and that is why I am willing to sacrifice it for your light."

I don't know how long I had sobbed into his shoulder before I fell asleep in his arms, but, he stayed there the entire night, Kushina-san giving me a picture of the two of us sleeping on that swinging bench, with me lying on top of my brother's chest as we slept. But to this day, that picture remained on the nightstand beside me bed, frame and protected by the strongest seals I could create, so that whenever I woke up, I would see the love my brother had for me.

* * *

My personal duties as one of Minato-sama's guards was initially that of his assistant, every morning I would arrive a little before Minato-sama to organize his appointments for the day before helping him sort through the various non-critical mission reports that arrived overnight and placed on his desk by the ANBU on duty after ensuring nothing dangerous was planted within.

As the day would go on I would remind him of important meetings and shadow him to all but the absolute highest level of classified meetings, making notes for him on things he may have missed that I would go over with him later in private.

That changed four months after Minato-sama had become the Hokage, Kushina-san entered the fifth month of pregnancy, I was assigned to start guarding Kushina-san and ensure the health of her and the baby while Kakashi protected her from any possible physical threat looking to harm her. During this time, I had basically taken over the spare bedroom inside of their house as my own, Minato-sama wanting me on hand at all times in case something went wrong.

Kushina-san was equally annoyed and amused by his over protectiveness, but she _did_ love the fact that it allowed her to host my tenth birthday party in her home, my mother helping her with all the preparations shooing me and Kakashi outside of the house.

The night of June 21st was a fairly noisy one as all of my friends and acquaintances gathered in the Namikaze home to celebrate the tenth year of my life. Gifts came in aplenty, ranging from a full set of formal kimonos from Saya-taicho to a set of Uzumaki sealing scrolls from Kushina-san who said her family would hate the fact that they would go to waste just sitting around gathering dust, and everything in between.

But, even with that, in the back of my mind and the pit of my stomach, I could _feel_ the dreaded day on approach, the day the masked man would come and leave little Naruto-kun an orphan. I refused to allow such a thing to happen, so I threw myself into my training, sparring often and regularly against Kakashi who seemed to be needing the outlet himself and developing new seals to try and help me.

The most notable seal I created was the 'marker' seal that I had discussed with Jiraiya-sama and Minato-sama so long ago during our trip to Tetsu no Kuni. The seal allowed me to mark people with a seal much like Minato-sama did with his Hiraishin, and once marked, I was able to track their signature up to ten miles away in any direction and once I had practice with it I was even able to tell the person's physical well being so long as they were within that radius.

Using those markers I was able to guide Raido-senpai, Genma-senpai and Iwashi-senpai with a greater degree of accuracy when we were using the Flying Thunder Formation.

As the day approached, plans were made to move Kushina out of Konohagakure in secret so that if the worse case did happen and Minato-sama was not able to reinforce her seal properly, the at least the Kyuubi would be far enough away to give the villagers some warning.

I was present for the birth, assisting Sandaime-sama's wife with the process, while I admit this was the first time present for a birth of any kind, I was far more distracted by the fact that I was trying to sense the arrival of the masked man while making sure Naruto-kun was coming out of Kushina-san alright to feel in awe or disgust by the entire process.

I cut the umbilical cord for Biwako-san who then took the baby to be cleaned and wrapped in a towel. "He's perfectly healthy," I assured the two parents who sighed and sagged in relief, seconds before I felt a sharp pain in my kidney.

Looking down, following Minato-sama's and Kushina-san's shocked eyes I found the business end of a standard issue ninjato impaling me, second before I toppled to the side being roughly tossed away by Obito Uchiha who was now threatening little Naruto-kun's life.

' _Nononono!_ ' I mentally screamed as Minato-sama began his fight with the masked man, desperately trying to push the weapon out of my body, even as my vision began to blur for the intense pain.

I let out a strangled gasp as I finally managed it, my hands, glowing with healing chakra flew to my stomach as I tried to heal the wound as quickly as I could, if I was fast enough, then I could, still save them before the Kyuubi was released!

I felt a hand on my shoulder just as I was almost finished healing my wound before the now familiar sense of vertigo that was Minato-sama's Hiraishin overcame me and I was in the middle of the wood, Kushina-san laying on an altar covered in seals and looking extremely weak.

"Kushina-san!" I shouted as I ignored my not fully healed wound to rush to her side, placing my healing chakra upon her.

"N-Naruto… kun…" she gasped out desperately, looking at Minato-sama who smiled before teleporting the three of us to one of the safe houses where Naruto lay waiting.

"Oh… my baby…" Kushina-san cried out happily as Minato-as a placed him in her arms.

I barely noticed as Minato-sama vanished in flash of yellow as I focused as much of my energy on trying to keep her alive. ' _No… I can't let this happen, I can't let Naruto-kun grow up alone!_ ' I screamed at myself mentally, biting my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood as I desperately tried to heal the wound that was inflicted upon Kushina-san, and utterly beyond my abilities to heal.

I couldn't stop the tears from spilling from my eyes as the cold realization filled me.

I felt a warm and gentle hand on my cheek, turning my attention to Kushina-san who was smiling warmly at me. "Yuriko-chan, look after Naruto-kun for me, okay?" She requested, making my eyes widen as I tried to shake my head in denial of the situation,

"No… I can save you… I _have_ to save you!" I cried out as I tried pumping more healing chakra into the incredibly warm and loving person before me. "Please… you… you _can't die_ … Kushina-san! I… why… why am I not strong enough?"

Kushina-san smiled sadly as me. "Because sometimes… we just never are strong enough," she told me comfortingly before turning my face to little Naruto-kun. "Protect him for me," she begged. "Be there for him where I can't be."

I nodded weakly, closing my eyes, not trusting myself to speak before I let out a choked sob.

"I'm sorry, Yuriko-chan, you really are adorable," Kushina whispered apologetically, before I felt something being placed on the back of my neck and felt all control of my limbs leave me. "But… I can't have Naruto-kun's big sister dying because she decided to do something foolish."

"Ku… shina… san?" I questioned weakly, staring with a betrayed expression at the red haired women I had come to love, who smiled sadly, tears in her eyes being the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness.

* * *

I let out a gasp as I jerked awake, in full control of my limbs as I bolted to my feet, ignoring the pain on my stomach as my partially healed wound tore open a bit at the rushed motion.

"No… Kushina-san! Minato-sama!" I screamed out as I ran out of the small safe house, hearing the screams of a child.

Ignoring my burning wound I followed the screams to a devastated tract of land where I found Naruto-kun, crying before the still bodies of Kushina-san and Minato-sama.

My anguished cries joined the orphan's as Sandaime-sama arrived on the scene, a horrified look on his face as he beheld me weeping over the corpses of the Yondaime and his wife.

On that day, I knew failure and loss like I never had before.

I learned the price of my clan's power, the bitter feeling of helplessness.

I knew what it meant to gain the Mangekyou Sharingan.

* * *

It seemed, that the Kami shared their grief with Konohagakure, thought one Shigure Uchiha as she listlessly busied herself in the kitchen. The devastation caused by the Kyuubi's rampage amplified by the death of the Yondaime and his wife, it's been five days since the Kyuubi had been unleashed upon Konoha, and the dark clouds and rain had not let up.

She had grown to like the red haired Uzumaki woman, and she could see why her daughter was enamoured with her and her husband, but… that knowledge did nothing to help her comfort her daughter.

She looked down the hallway where her daughter's room was. The distraught girl having holed herself up in the room as soon as she returned from the hospital yesterday, dropped off by her concerned squadmate Genma who told Shigure that if Yuriko needed _anything_ then to get into contact with any of them.

It touched the mother's heart that her daughter had such reliable friends, and she knew that her daughter would need them, especially when the Sandaime stopped by and explained how he found her, weeping over their bodies, a barely healed and return wound in her gut.

And a five petaled flower in place of her Sharingan as she wept tears of blood.

The news shook Shigure to the core as she began to wonder why her children were cursed to bear the powerful evolution of their bloodline, when neither herself, nor their father had.

Letting out a sigh she turned away from the door that refused to open even when she left food in front of it, she let out a sigh as she looked in on her son's empty room. He had been leading a company in a counter attack on the Kyuubi and attempted to use his **Koshintō** to teleport the Kyuubi away in an attempt to buy more time for Konohagakure ninja and evacuation attempts.

He had succeeded in moving it back thirty feet and nearly died from chakra exhaustion from the effort.

He was still in the hospital, unconscious to the world and under constant supervision to ensure he didn't die from his efforts to protect the village. More Uchiha had followed his example, the Clan Head Fugaku-sama rallying the combat capable members of the clan into actions, even as some of the untrained members rushed into the village proper to usher civilians into the various shelters.

A knock on the door broke her from her musing as she moved to answer, blinking in surprise as a grim faced Jiraiya was at her door. "Jiraiya-sama," she greeted, bowing to the sannin respectfully. "Please, come in, may I get you some tea?"

"Sorry, Shigure-san, this isn't exactly a social call," he told her with a sad look. "How is she?"

Shigure winced as she looked back towards her daughter's room. "She… she hasn't been eating, hasn't said a word or even come out of her room," she answered, biting the inside of her cheek to contain her tears. "I tried to get in, but I think she sealed her room off."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding. "Unfortunately she needs to report to the Hokage on the… incident," he admitted with a deep frown. "A lot of questions are being asked… and she is the only survivor who can actually be questioned."

"My daughter would _never_ harm the Yondaime or his wife!" Shigure snapped, all traces of her sadness vanishing as her motherly rage surfaced. "She loved them more than anyone else in this village, she would _kill_ herself before bringing harm to them!"

"I know," Jiraiya said reassuringly, patting her shoulder gently, getting her to calm down. "As does sensei and many on the council, but as it stands, she is the _only_ one who could have seen what may have happened."

Shigure let out a shuddering sigh as she sagged. "Please… Jiraiya-sama, keep her safe," she pleaded as she stepped back to allow the sannin entry into her home.

"You have my word," Jiraiya solemnly swore as he entered and followed the mother to the door to her daughter's room.

"Yeah, she's definitely put up a seal on this," Jiraiya said as he placed a hand on the door and sent a careful pulse of chakra through it. "An Uzumaki seal if I'm not mistaken."

He then knocked on the door loudly. "Yuriko, sensei needs you to report in," he announced loudly in a gentle, but professional tone. "And your posting isn't done."

The was some shuffling heard through the door before the door opened, Shigure forcing herself not to rush forward and hug her daughter.

Yuriko looked nothing like her usual cheerful self, her once carefully maintained hair was a tangled mess, her eyes, once filled with life and happiness were puffy with dark circles surrounding them as she stared listlessly at Jiraiya. "What mission?" she croaked out, her once vibrant voice was a hollow shell of it's former self. "I failed it… I couldn't save them… they're dead because I wasn't strong enough…"

Shigure could feel her heart clench as her daughter spoke, gritting her teeth as she tried to stop herself from rush forward again, this was the most _anyone_ had gotten out of her since she had been dropped off by the Sandaime.

"So, you're just going to leave their killer running free without doing anything?" Jiraiya said, getting a twitch from her daughter. "And what about Naruto? The child you helped bring into this world that night? Are you just going to leave _their_ child abandoned."

 _That_ got a reaction from Yuriko as her eyes flashed angrily. "And what about you?" she snapped back, her listless voice filling with anger. " _You're_ his godfather, why not you!? Why not Kakashi? He's Minato-sama's student!"

Jiraiya weathered her anger with a calm patience. "If I could, I would in a heartbeat," he told her. "But you _know_ how many enemies Minato had! They would _instantly_ suspect any blond child with me as the Minato's! Kakashi wouldn't be much better, not to mention he's emotionally stunted and retreated into the ANBU corps as soon as the dust settled! If anyone were to be able to take in Minato and Kushina's son, it _has_ to be you! To the other countries, you were just a pet project for him, a way to show unity in the village, they wouldn't think twice about a blond kid in your presence."

Yuriko reeled back as if struck by Jiraiya's words, but the sannin didn't give her a chance to recover before snapping out again. "You are also the only one who saw what happened that night! The _only_ one who can point us to their murderer!" he shouted, his voice rising unintentionally. "Or are you _not_ wanting to bring the one responsible to justice?"

Yuriko reeled again, folding up on herself a bit as tears dropped to the floor, Jiraiya held an arm in front of Shigure, preventing her from rushing to her daughter's side. "Jonin Yuriko Uchiha, are you shirking your duty to Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki?" he questioned in a low voice, as if he were challenging her.

"Never!" Yuriko spat out with such vehemence that the two adults reeled back in surprise as the first Uchiha to be made a member of the Hokage's Guard Platoon stood up, her eyes burning with a determination that left any doubts in ruins.

"Good," Jiraiya announced with a firm nod and voice. "Make yourself presentable, sensei summoned you to make your report."

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama," Yuriko replied with a nod as she stepped back into her room, Shigure darting in after her as the white haired sannin let out a shuddering breath in the hallway.

"It _has_ to be you, kid," he murmured to himself as he waited. "You're about the only one who can properly protect Naruto now."

* * *

It was hard, forcing myself to move after days of laying curled up in my bed, not even having the energy to cry. But I moved nonetheless, letting my mother help me get presentable, doing my best to try and take some of her strength in as my own as she straightened my neglected hair as I pulled on the standard jonin's uniform for the coming meeting.

"Sorry," I mumbled out to my mother as she finished combing my hair into it's usual straight manner. "For making you worry… for… not being there."

"It's okay…" my mother whispered into my ear, placing her hands on my shoulders as she rest her forehead on my scalp. "I understand, you loved the two of them so much, it's only natural for you to be depressed."

I nodded slowly, swallowing back my tears as I checked my appearance over once more. "I need to get going," I whispered to her, hugging her for a moment before breaking away. "I'll be back as soon as I can be."

My mother gave me the warmest smile she could muster as she nodded, wiping away a few tears of her own before kissing my forehead affectionately and letting me leave with Jiraiya-sama.

My body screamed at me as I exerted it, following Jiraiya-sama out onto the rooftops, but I ignored it as the sannin gave me an update on the status of the village, and about my brother who was in the hospital, almost barely clinging to life.

A stab of guilt tore through me, joining the ever growing pile, at that news the treacherous parts of my mind telling me that I should have been there to help him, that I should have prevented the need for it from the very beginning.

I shook my head free of those thoughts and focused ahead of myself as we arrived at the Hokage's Tower, the building having seen better days, but representing Konoha by being battered, but still standing. We weren't stopped as Jiraiya-sama led the way through the building, getting us to the council chamber in short order where the Hokage sat behind his desk with the entirety of the council in session, only a few members missing.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Yuriko-chan," Sandaime-sama said gently, once again wearing the Hokage's hat, another surge of guilt was suppressed at the sight of it as I stood at attention. "As the only survivor, you are the only one we can turn to that can answer what happened that night with the Yondaime and his wife."

I took in a careful breath before I responded. "Everything had been going according to plan," I reported in what I hoped was my professional voice, although I could hear it cracking. "But… as soon as the child was born, Biwako-san was killed and I was stabbed from behind," I swallowed tightly. "The man who attacked us had gotten ahold of the Yondaime's son, he was wearing a grey right-eyed mask with black markings on it, and… I caught a glimpse of a Mangekyou Sharingan."

"WHAT!?" Fugaku-sama shouted in shock as the other council members began to stir in an unsure member. "Can you describe it? Or recognize it if seen?"

I licked my lips a bit as I closed my eyes in thought. "I only saw one sharingan, but the one I saw was like a three pointed shuriken with lines connected the three blades," I reported as best as I could. "If I had some paper I could draw it."

Jiraiya quickly produced a sheaf of paper and a pen for me to start drawing it. "I must admit, I am… suspicious if he really is an Uchiha though, whether an active or bastard child," I continued as I drew the sharingan, the reason Obito was able to do so much damage was because no one knew he existed until it was too late. "He might have targeted a clan member who had only just awoken theirs and stole it."

I passed the paper onto Sandaime-sama who nodded and showed it to Fugaku-sama who frowned and studied it. "Her idea holds merit," he announced as he closed his eyes. "We keep a record on all who awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan along with making an image of the design it takes, _that_ is not one that I recognize."

"Is it possible one of your clan members would hide such a thing?" Shikaku Nara questioned, looking downright exhausted.

"Possible, but extremely unlikely, as Sandaime-sama can attest, having seen the awakening of Yuriko-san's" Fugaku-sama reported, looking at Sandaime-sama who nodded grimly. "The user will be crying tears of blood for a period of time afterwards, and… it only awakens after a traumatic event that leaves the victim with overwhelming feelings of guilt. Most users end up committing suicide shortly after from their grief."

"Can you show us your own?" Inoichi Yamanaka questioned me gently, making me blink and look over to him. "I must admit to my own curiosity, but many of us have never seen it before."

Taking a breath, I nodded before activating my sharingan, concentrating I could feel a stabbing pain in my eyes as the world _shifted_ for a lack of a better word. Everything was… clearer, more defined, I could see every minute movement the council was making as they moved, and beyond that, I could _feel_ what they could do, the information filling my mind as the Mangekyou activated.

 **Kamiyonanayo (Seven Generations of the Age of Gods)** inhabited my right eye, a localized Space/Time ninjutsu that warped time into replicating any ninjutsu I used up to seven times, in the exact same way it had been activated in the first place.

And in my left eye was **Ama-no Ukihashi (The Floating Bridge of Heaven)** , another Space/Time technique that would allow me to _warp_ the trajectories of any ninjutsu within my eyesight.

I blinked, shutting down my sharingan completely, staggering a bit, causing Jiraiya-sama and, surprisingly, Fugaku-sama to leap to my side, steadying me as the rush of power I felt faded from my body, leaving me feel a bit sluggish.

"It'll get easier," Fugaku-sama assured me in a low voice as he waved for a chair to be brought over to me. "As you grow more adjusted to it, the deactivation won't leave you feeling weak."

I blinked up at him in surprise as he smiled tightly in response to my surprise, his own eyes flashing the Mangekyou Sharingan, a thinner, mirrored version of Itachi's with a dot between each 'blade', to show me before it faded.

He spoke up again, cutting off my attempt to question him on it. "While it grants an incredible amount of power, it comes at a terrible cost in addition to the activation event," Fugaku-sama announced as he moved back to his seat on the council. "The more we use the Mangekyou Sharingan, the more we lose our eyesight."

"Is it possible to repair the damage?" a man I didn't recognize questioned, a calculating look in his eye.

"Not with Iryojutsu," I admitted, looking down at my hands, my eyes throbbing a bit at the memory of activating my Mangekyou. "My brother, Sakaki-nii-san, has it, and his eyesight has been getting worse lately, I tried everything I could to fix the damage short of surgery, but… I couldn't even find any indication of damage to his eyes."

"What she says is true," Fugaku-sama admitted. "There is only one way we know of to repair the damage, and the only one to use it was Madara… and he had stolen his brother's eyes, leaving him for dead in order to restore his sight and evolve it to the ultimate form of the Sharingan." he swallowed tightly as he closed his eyes. "We have made attempts to find a way around it, volunteers stepping forward to trade their eyes, but… they don't work, the only way is to implant the eyes of a close blood relative into your own."

"Troublesome," Shikaku-san stated simply.

Sandaime-sama nodded in agreement. "Yuriko-chan, you heard what your brother did for Konoha, correct?" he questioned me, prompting a nod in response. "As the one who is the most familiar with how much of his sight was lost beforehand, how much do you think he lost from his attempt to defend Konoha?"

I swallowed tightly in response. "I think… he might wake up without his sight," I said finally after several moments of trying to speak. "And if he hasn't, then any more usage of it _will_ render him blind."

Several of the council members lowered their heads in respect to this, Sandaime-sama nodding as he accepted the situation. "With your permission, Hokage-sama, I would like to move him into the Military Police instead of active duty," Fugaku-sama spoke up. "I think he's sacrificed enough already for the defense of Konoha."

"I will have the papers sent to you as soon as we're finished here," Sandaime-sama stated with a nod. "All in favour of rating this masked individual as an S-Ranked threat to be exterminated on sight?"

"Aye," every single council member spoke up in a grim tone.

"Very well, I shall have the bingo books updated as soon as possible," he confirmed. "You are all dismissed, Yuriko-chan, Jiraiya can you both please remain."

Nodded as the council members began trickling out of the council chambers one after the other, Fugaku-sama pausing briefly to pat my shoulder in a surprisingly encouragingly manner before leaving. "How may I serve, Hokage-sama?" I asked, stepping forward to him.

His eyes were sadden as he looked me over, no doubt he could clearly see the signs of my grief and guilt that have been wracking at me. "How are you feeling, Yuriko-chan?" he questioned me softly, gesturing for me to relax.

I sagged a bit as I let go of my hold over my emotions, Jiraiya-sama supporting me with his hands on my shoulders, tears tracking down my cheeks as I sobbed a bit. "Tired… I'm… just so tired, Hokage-sama," I admitted as I met his concerned gaze.

He nodded in understanding, standing up. "I think… before you go home and rest, there is someone you should meet," he told me, the two older shinobi guiding me to his office proper where a cat masked ANBU saluted him as we entered, a small crib set up in the room. "Yuriko-chan, please, meet Naruto Uzumaki-kun."

I blinked as I looked into the crib, biting back a choked sob as I saw the slumbering, whiskered, face of Minato-sama and Kushina-san's son. "Oh… Naruto-kun," I murmured, hesitantly reach in to gently touch his cheek, the child stirring a bit as his stunning blue eyes opened up and stared at me before gurgling happily at me and smiling.

I didn't realize, but the rain that had been falling on Konoha had broken that moment when little Naruto-kun smiled up at me, babbling as Sandaime-sama and Jiraiya-sama encouraged me to pick him up.

All I knew, was that at that moment, I fell in love all over again, sobbing quietly as I hugged the baby Jinchuuriki who had with just one action, filled my life with hope once again.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

* * *

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 50  
 **EXP** : 1,262/24,500 **  
Age:** 10 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Jonin (+50% to all Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP - **2,600 **  
CP -** 8,600  
 **STR -** 50 (62) **  
INT -** 100 **  
DEX -** 112 (140) **  
VIT -** 50 **  
WIS -** 84 **  
LUK -** 40  
 **Ryo** \- 4,672,153

* * *

 **New Ski** **lls!**

 **Mangekyo Sharingan (Active/Passive)[1 - 100(MAX)]** \- An advanced form of the Sharingan, said to awaken upon the killing of one's closest friend or lover. Its normal abilities are greatly enhanced, plus you can also use the special Jutsu Susanoo! However, this damages your normal eyesight, until the point you would need the normal Sharingan active just to be able to see. - 50 CP/second when used by non Uchiha, 10 CP/second when used by an Uchiha. +100-250% DEX when active, can learn opponent's jutsu by watching them form their hand seals, cannot learn elemental kekkei genkai or hiden jutsus. Allows use of Susano'o techniques and two unique abilities (May be active or passive), but causes 1% damage to eyesight for every 60 minutes of use.

[ **Kamiyonanayo (Seven Generations of the Age of Gods)** ] - Right Eye - A Time/Space technique that allows Yuriko to repeat a Jutsu that she has used within the last ten minutes up to seven times. They will be along the same path as the original jutsu.

[ **Ama-no Ukihashi (The Floating Bridge of Heaven)** ] - Left Eye - A Time/Space technique that allows Yuriko to alter the trajectory of any Ninjutsu within her eyesight, easier for own jutsus when compared to opponents.


	12. Chapter 11: Shard of the Six Paths

I looked around the simple two bedroom apartment in the residential district of Konohagakure with a critical eye, checking for any structural deficiencies or signs of mold, pests, etc. Little Naruto-kun babbling happily on my hip as I bounced him a bit during my look. "How much does it cost?" I questioned the realtor who was politely waiting by the door as I inspected the apartment, carefully keeping my voice neutral as I looked out the main window at the splendid sight of the Hokage Tower and monument.

"2,000,000," the realtor informed me politely.

I turned to the five month old baby in my arms as he looked out the window. "What do you think, Naruto-kun?" I questioned him gently. "Do you like it?"

He looked up at me and gave me a babbling smile as he reached for my hair, he just _loved_ playing with it.

"I'll take it," I told the realtor with a smile. "I'll bring the cheque in tomorrow."

"I'll be sure to have the keys made up and ready for you," the realtor told me with a smile, barely even glancing at baby Naruto in my arms. "Thank you for your purchase."

After exchanging a few more words, I parted ways with the realtor and began to make my way to the Uchiha District.

It had been five months since the Kyuubi attack and my world fell out from under me with the death of Minato-sama and Kushina-san, only to be saved from my despair from little baby Naruto-kun. On that day in Hokage-sama's office I declared that I would raise Naruto-kun, come hell or high water, even threatening to resign as a shinobi if Sandaime-sama didn't allow it, much to said person's amusement.

He told me that was what he was hoping for when he brought me to see Naruto-kun, he felt that I was the only one suited to protecting him and ensuring his healthy growth. Apparently, according to Jiraiya-sama, the flush on my face went down my neck. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take him with me right away, even with my newfound determination I was not ready, mentally, to begin taking care of Naruto-kun.

It had taken a couple of months with Fuyuko-san and _many_ visits to baby Naruto-kun, but… I was healing. I was officially granted custody over Naruto-kun last week and had been busy looking for a suitable place to raise him within Konoha proper, Fugaku-sama had offered me a place within the Uchiha district of course, but I had decided to get a place of my own within Konoha.

The Uchiha Clan… there had been a big change of opinion for them since the night of the Kyuubi, not only was the outrush of Uchiha to defend their village a factor, but one or several of the councilmembers had let it leak that Sakaki-nii-san had risked permanent blindness with his reckless attempt to delay the Kyuubi.

Thankfully, when he woke up he still had some eyesight left, although he needed to activate his Sharingan in order to see properly. When I saw him again, I gave him a tight hug before smacking him upside the head and ranting at him for his foolish decision to try to teleport the _KAMI DAMNED KYUUBI!_

He was rather shocked when Fugaku-sama informed him of his transfer into the Konoha Military Police as a Commander, and firmly gave him the order not to use his Mangekyou Sharingan again unless he was in a life or death situation. Although that was nothing when compared to the shock of the number of fan girls for him that seemingly popped up overnight.

Thankfully they respected the warning I issued about those who got _too_ aggressive in their pursuit, I wasn't about to allow a potential blackmail resource disappear on me after all.

"We're back!" I called out as I walked in the door, the trip home taking longer than usual, Naruto-kun not being strong enough yet for me to carry him while travelling shinobi style limited me to walking, and of course, Naruto-kun being the adorable ball of sunshine he was, attracted the attention of various grandmothers all over.

"How did it go?" My mother as she she greeted us brightly, I had been a bit apprehensive about the first meeting between my mother and Naruto-kun, but just like he was wont to do, he had my mother wrapped around his tiny fingers with the first meeting.

And thank god for that because my mother showed me everything that was required for the care of a baby, and there was _so much_ of it too!

"We found our home," I said with a smile as I let my mom take little Naruto-Kun out of my hands before taking off my sandals. "I'll be bringing the cheque in tomorrow when I go pick up the keys."

My mother gave me a somewhat sad look as she continued to play with Naruto-kun. "Are you sure that I can't change convince you to stay home, or take Fugaku-sama up on his offer on a house in the district?" She questioned me hopefully.

"Maybe in a few years," I admitted with a slight smile. "I honestly have been thinking about getting my own place for a while now inside of Konoha proper, plus, because of his… _condition_ Sandaime-sama doesn't want to seem like he's favouring one clan over the other, and the best way for that to happen is for me to leave the Uchiha district, at least for a while."

My mother took in a soft breath, but nodded her acceptance as the three of us moved into the house proper, mom stopping only to put Naruto-kun into a playpen, one reinforced with Uzumaki seals that prevented the child from escaping. Apparently either Kushina-san had _really_ wanted my help with Naruto-kun - which while likely, was almost certainly not the case - of she was outright determined to eventually set me up with someone to have kids of my own with.

I still don't know which one is more frightening to think about.

"Heya squirt," my brother greeted, looking up from a small amount of paperwork with his Sharingan active, needing it more often than not these days as he settled into his new position. "So you got a place eh, need help moving in?"

"Well, Genma-senpai and Raido-senpai will be helping me out, but an extra hand would always be appreciated, would it be alright though, you missing work?"

"Eh, I got quite a bit of personal freedom," he told me in response as I sat down next to him. "Turns out that being a Commander for Internal Patrols is mostly just paper work and deciding who patrols where.

I giggled a bit at his frustrated expression. "Poor onii-san, relegated to the desk because he decided to play hero," I told him teasingly, garnering a roll of his eyes in response.

"Whatever you say squirt," he replied tousling my hair to annoy me, which it did, I work hard to take care of my hair thank you very much! "Ready to do some more Susano'o training tonight?"

While I had been busy making sure my head was on straight enough to raise Naruto-kun, that had not been the only thing I had been doing, when Sakaki-nii-san had heard I had awoken my Mangekyou on the night of the Kyuubi, he had been ready to rip his eyes out then and there to be implanted into mine.

It had taken early an hour of arguing with me and our mother to convince him to wait a bit before doing so, waiting at least he was finished in coaching me in some of the more esoteric skills of the Mangekyou. It didn't take me long to get the hand of my **Ama-no Ukihashi** and **Kamiyonanayo** , their abilities rather simple to work with and _very_ easy to combine. Susano'o on the other hand, four months, that's how long it took me to manifest Susano'o in its cloaked form.

I was rather surprised when my own took on a vaguely feminine form, but then again any other user of the Susano'o on the show had been male, not so surprisingly, my light blue chakra construct was armed with a single kodachi, go figure.

"Sure," I agreed easily running my fingers through my hair to correct the damage Sakaki-nii had done to it, watching as Naruto-kun began to stack blocks on top of one another and taking great delight in knocking the over. "I think I got the hang of it, but some practice never hurts."

"That it doesn't," Sakaki-nii-san confirmed with a chuckle, turning back to his paperwork as mother watched on with a soft smile.

* * *

"I'm sorry, you wanted to announce _what_ to the populace?" I questioned my commanding officer in his office, a now one year old Naruto-kun at my feet playing with some paper and crayons. "Telling them that Naruto-kun is a Jinchuuriki is a foolish move, Hokage-sama," I expanded, a frown _very_ pronounced on my face as I crossed my arms over my modestly growing bust and crimson jacket - now bearing my personal symbol of a five petaled flower on the back. "Hokage-sama, they won't see him as a hero, they'll see him as the Kyuubi itself, not to mention the fact that his anonymity is his best defence against any of the other countries wanting to acquire a new Jinchuriki for themselves."

"But Minato wanted the villagers to see him as a hero," Sandaime-sama countered making me groan.

"And we _both_ know that Minato-sama is more than a bit naive about the people being accepting of things," I pointed out, making him wince a bit. "Remember when he wanted to introduce the tax reform all at once instead of a bit at a time?"

I loved the man, I would freely admit that to the day I die, but even with that, the man could be an idiot sometimes when it came to people. Persons, individuals, he was great with, people as a whole he had more trouble reading than a quadrapedict blind, deaf and dumb man.

"Look, give people a few years to grieve the lost and heal," I said, trying to compromise with him. "Maybe it can be revealed when he becomes a chunin, by then he would have been able to prove his loyalty to Konoha to everyone _and_ he should be strong enough to fend off any potential kidnappers."

Thankfully, Sarutobi-sama - he had began to insist that I call him by his name rather than his title - seemed to mull this proposition over, and seeing my chance I push a bit more. "Plus it will give him time to train with his powers as a Jinchuriki to show that he is in control of the Kyuubi's chakra," I added, raising a hand to forestall his response. "I'm not saying we should tell him as soon as he can understand, but he _should_ know before he makes Genin and starts going out on missions that _could_ cause him to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra."

Sarutobi-sama sighed as he sagged in his chair, looking his age far too much. "I… shall take your words under advisement as Naruto-kun's guardian," he told me, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "There is something else I wished to speak with you about," he said after a few more moments. "The daimyo has requested you by name for a mission."

I blinked in surprise. "The… Daimyo, sir?" I questioned. "What exactly is the mission?"

"He wants you to retrieve a stolen item from a group of bandits that attacked one of his convoys," Sarutobi-sama explained. "He wants you specifically to deal with them, retrieve the item, and… present an _example_ on why not to steal from the daimyo."

Ah, that would be why I was chosen then, my method of fighting was rather… _bloody_ ninety percent of the time.

* * *

 **MANDATORY QUEST ALERT!**

 **Objective  
Eliminate the Blood Hand Bandit tribe and retrieve the Daimyo's item**

 **Reward  
25,000 EXP and +7,500 Reputation with the Fire Daimyo**

 **Bonus Objective**

?  
?

 **Reward**

?  
?

* * *

"Understood, I'll leave as soon as I'm ready," I informed, saluting before picking up Naruto-kun and accepted the mission scroll from Sarutobi-sama. "I'll return as soon as I am finished."

Sarutobi-sama nodded, dismissing me, allowing me to leave and make my way home to get ready for my mission. Placing Naruto-kun into his playpen I entered my room and stripped myself of the simple shirt and pants I was wearing when off duty and began pulling on my uniform, there had been some changes to it as I grew older, the black t-shirt that I had been wearing underneath had been replaced by a armored mesh shirt with bandage wrapped around my modest chest, the skirt was now a bit shorter, while the spandex shorts underneath had shortened considerably.

The more I lived as a girl, the more adjusted I became to it, the more comfortable I felt with showing my skin. Letting out a sigh I grabbed my red jacket and threw it on before pulling my kodachi from where it had been secured out of Naruto-kun's reach and settled it in its holster.

"Alright, Naruto-kun, let's go visit Auntie, okay?" I asked him as I picked him up.

"Au-ie!" Naruto-kun squealed happily as he let me pick him up.

"That's right!" I cheered on, smiling broadly at him as I headed for the door, grabbing his overnight bag as I passed it.

I don't think I would ever be thankful enough for my mother taking care of Naruto-kun whenever there was a mission that require me to be assigned to them. Being one of the few truly combat capable medics put me in high demand, Saya-taicho having been promoted to the head of the hospital was often too busy, and Tsunade-sama having left after the Second Shinobi War, that basically put me on the shortlist of medics for bloody missions.

So far, I've been on three of them since gaining custody of Naruto-kun, and quite honestly, coming home to him has been the one thing that kept me sane after them. Nothing quite like a massacre to make you go crazy, no wonder Itachi ended up so fucked up if this was the level of missions he went on.

Still, I had a job to do, and Naruto-kun was now tugging on my hair painfully.

"Naruto-kun, that hurts," I chided him gently, unwinding my long hair from his chubby fingers.

"'etty!" he giggled happily as he let me free the hair that seemed to fascinate him.

I smiled at him and kissed his forehead, getting a squeal of happiness from him.

"Au-ie!" Naruto-kun cried out happily as I entered my childhood home.

"Naruto-kun~" Mother greeted him happily, taking him from my arms to hug and gush over him. "This is a surprise, I wasn't expecting you today," she said to me after greeting the blond bundle of joy. "Were you given a mission?"

I let out a sigh and nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, Daimyo requested me so I can't exactly beg off it," I replied as I placed Naruto-kun's go bag to the side. "I'll be gone for a week or two, it's near the Taki no Kuni border so at least I won't have to dodge enemy patrols."

"Small things," mother agreed with a relieved sigh. "Naruto-kun will be fine with me and your brother."

"Thank you," I said gratefully, hugging my mother tightly before kissing Naruto-kun's forehead again. "Behave for Auntie, okay? I'll be back before you know it."

Naruto-kun seemed to realize that I was leaving, and looked a bit upset about it, but settled as I gave him a bit of attention.

Saying my goodbyes I headed out the door and began sprinting off towards my mission.

* * *

It was a mystery to me, how these idiots managed to raid one of the Daimyo's caravans, considering the number of his Samurai he assigned to them, huh, maybe he'll finally start hiring ninja to start escorting them as well.

But the bandit tribe itself was full of idiots, seriously, after silencing one of their sentries I was rather surprised to find him being the _only_ sentry they had, granted there was just one entrance into the cave that I tracked them to - _into_ Taki no Kuni.

Thankfully I ran into a Takigakure team of shinobi on border patrol and was able to show them my mission scroll to affirm that I was after a group of shinobi.

Two of the four man team seemed incredulous about a kid being such a high profile mission, but the other two recognized me through my bingo book entry. Huh, turns out that the Tsuchikage had bumped my rating up to A-rank after becoming apart of Minato-sama's Hokage Guard Platoon, I really need to keep a closer eye on the bingo book.

Shaking my head I cleared my head of the distracting thoughts and focused on deeper into the cave, the bandits were partying, apparently celebrating their attack on the Daimyo's convoy. Letting out a small sigh, I braced myself and stepped forward, not bothering to mask my footsteps. "Did you really think, that Konohagakure would allow such an attack to go unpunished?" I called out, my voice echoing through the chamber that the bandits set themselves up in.

"Who the fuck!?" the apparent leader shouted out angrily, a slashed Kirigakure hitai-ate on his head, ah… so that's probably how they got through the samurai. "Kill the bitch! She's only a kid!"

The bandits all roared in laughter as they looked at me, granted I had finally broke out of the 4' range… although I was now just five feet even, not exactly an intimidating figure in the least.

So, I decided to _make_ them fear me.

"[ **Water Release: High Pressure Bullet** ]!" I called out after forming the seals of my jutsu, three bullets of water rippling from the moisture rich cave walls and caved in the skulls of three of the bandits. Forming a new set of seals I braced myself for the retaliation. "[ **Water Release: Mantle of the Blue Dragon** ]."

Ah, one of my favorite defensive technique, reducing damage from fire chakra by half while also reducing the enemy's chance for a critical hit. The first bandit reached me shortly after the cape formed on my body, slashing a sword at my head that I simply tilted my head out of the way of and slashed my kodachi across his neck and leaving him to bleed out behind me as I stepped forward, ignoring the blood on my face.

I must of unsettled them because the ones that were following after their fellow paused as I smiled at them cheerfully. "Please, can we continue this massacre in an orderly manner," I requested politely, it didn't cost anything to be polite after all. "I have a little brother waiting for me to come home after all."

With that, I finally activated [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] while my left hand formed a set of seals. "[ **Fire Release: Crimson Flames** ]!" I announced before breathing out a long stream of fire onto the bandit ranks, the unwashed men panicking as the intense flames swept over them.

"[ **Water Release: Rising Water Slicer** ]!" the bandit boss shouted to my side where he just finished forming a set of seals, causing the ground to crack and break apart, a stream of water cutting through it towards me.

Leaping back I grabbed one of the bandits and threw him into the path of the jutsu, the high pressured water slicing him in half before the liquid dispersed. Turning my eyes to beside me where one of the bandits apparently found his courage to thrust a spear at me.

Flicking the edge of my water cloak, my own body remaining dry for the most part under it, I cracked the end of it against his wrist to knock him off target before lazily cutting him with my empowered kodachi, the man choking as he feel over, clutching at his chest in pain.

My left hand began forming more seals as my dispassioned gaze ran over the crowd. "[ **Fire Release: Crimson Orb** ]," I announced, spitting out a mid sized ball of fire that exploded on contract with a now screaming bandit, I didn't even pay attention to him as I began running towards the Kiri-missing nin.

I danced through the ranks of the enemies, the light touches I made with my kodachi dealing irreparable damage to their internal organs as I continued to make my way to the Kirigakure ninja. "Is this really all you can do, send your little minions at me?" I questioned him tauntingly. "At the very least, the ones I killed during the war put up a _somewhat_ decent fight."

The criminal frowned, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion before his eyes widened, recognition clicking into place as he placed my face. "Bloody Scalpel," he gaped as he began backing away.

I really wonder what kind of stories they told about me to get that reaction? "The one and only," I announced, finally activating my sharingan, but I didn't stop there as it bloomed into it's five petaled form. "Sorry, but you boys won't be leaving here alive," I announced as light blue wisps of chakra began to surround me, the [ **Mantle of the Water Dragon** ] splashing around me as I released the technique, it was useless now that my [ **Susano'o** ] was formed, its cloaked feminine form glaring down at the now absolutely scared shitless bandits as it drew it's kodachi. "But thank you, for giving me the opportunity to practice my abilities where no one will see them, and good bye."

From that point on it wasn't even anything resembling a battle, it was a wholesale slaughter as I ripped through them with [ **Susano'o** ] my first real use of it in combat. As I fought I could _feel_ the heady rush of power washing over me that I worked hard to clamp down on. When it was used, the Mangekyou Sharingan could mess with your thoughts, giving you a sense of far greater power than you actually had.

It was that reason that I used it at this moment, when using it in training it was easy to rationalize it away, this time, however, it was not, they were not able to harm me while it was active, and they fell by the dozens as they tried to escape, and through it all I had to remind myself of my humanity, the image of little Naruto-kun's smile burning in my mind as I followed the request of the Daimyo and made an example of the group.

Panting hard, I let go of my [ **Susano'o** ], blood dripping from my eyes as it faded away, the burning sensation from activating almost debilitating were I not used to it by this point.

It took me a while to regain my breath enough to start walking again, but once I was properly mobile I began walking through the cave, checking the nook and crannies, locating the box with the Daimyo's seal and storing it in a storage scroll for transport, the biggest surprise I found, however, was the trick door at the back of the cave, something I only spotted when my Mangekyou inexplicably activated without me triggering it.

I followed the path behind the trick door into another open cave, lit up by the glow of some kind of stones that gave off a greenish light. In the center was a simple shrine with a Naginata at rest.

The first thing I realized, that that it was _old_ , the wood of the shrine had begun to rot, but the Naginata itself… it was completely untouched, activating my sharingan almost blinded me with the incredibly _dense_ chakra the weapon was radiating.

" **Descendant,** " a powerful voice boomed through the room, my eyes widening as I searched around for whoever spoke. " **If you wish to wield the power of** **this Sacred Treasure, you must prove yourself worthy of such power.** "

* * *

 **MANDATORY SIDE QUEST!**

 **Objective  
Defeat the Spectre of the Six Paths!**

 **Reward  
?**

* * *

Wait… spectre of WHAT!?

As soon as the quest alert disappeared from my sight a man walked into view, his skin was greyish in color wearing a monk-esque robe, a pair of pupiless lavender eyes were offset by a third eye on his forehead that looked like a sharingan with multiple rings surrounding the iris, in his hand was a staff so black that it seemed to drink in the darkness around it.

[ **Spectre of the Six Paths** ] **Level 60  
HP: 10,000  
CP: 10,000**

Oh.

Letting out a breath I braced myself and activated my Mangekyou Sharingan, like _fuck_ I am about to not put in my best efforts to survive this.

That seemed to be all the spectre needed to charge me as I rapidly formed a string of seals in response. "[ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ]!" I announced before letting out an explosive stream of fire at the charging spectre who crashed into the flames sweeping its staff to disperse the flames and preventing them from harming him.

Activating the [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] jutsu I blurred myself forward, Tsuki no Usagi in my hand with [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] active I acted like I was about to attack, the spectre bringing his staff around to counter me, only to find me passing overhead, both of my eyes bleeding.

"[ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ]!" an echo shouted, my voice sounding as if it was staked upon itself several time.

My **Kamiyonanayo** had activated, and I warped time and space to unleash the jutsu I just performed, while initially along the same track it had originally been unleashed.

That changed when **Ama-no Ukihashi** activated, altering the trajectories of six of the [ **Great Flame Annihilation** ] to surrounding him completely, unleashing the flames onto the spectre from all directions.

For normal opponents, I would call this enough, even against Kage's I would think it would be overkill, seven High B-Ranked fire ninjutsus unleashed at once from every direction? The burning of all the oxygen alone would be enough to kill a man.

But for what I am facing? I needed more.

I flew through the hand seals as the fire connected against the spectre who was nullifying one of the streams of fire. "[ **Wind Release: Great Breakthrough** ]!" I shouted as I unleashed the C-ranked wind natured jutsu, directly into six active B-ranked fire jutsus.

Now, if I had been far enough away, my inner pyromancer would've been _very_ happy to see the resulting explosion of white hot flames. Considering I was right above it when I released them? Yeah… I'm counting this as one of my more stupid decisions in my life.

I gritted my teeth as my eyes _burned_ , the light blue chakra of my [ **Susano'o** ] surrounding and protecting me as I flew through the air. Flipping a few times I landed on top of one of the outcropping glowing rocks with a nervous expression.

"Okay… don't think that was supposed to happen," I thought as I allowed the ribcage of my [ **Susano'o** ] to fade, my eyes moved to the center of the conflagration that I had created and spotted the spectre standing there, its robe missing a sleeve with some burns on the arm, but otherwise seemingly unharmed. "Now that… that is seven levels of _bullshit._ "

[ **Spectre of the Six Paths** ] **Level 60  
HP: 8,657  
CP: 8,965**

But, hey, I did some damage, right?

"[ **Bansho Ten'in** ]," the spectre announced, reaching its hand out for me.

Oh… right… Rinnegan, _**FUCK!**_

I tried to resist the attraction technique, channeling my chakra into the rock, only to find it sliding right off of it. "Oh… _shit!_ " I shouted as I hurdled towards the spectre.

My eyes began to burn again. "[ **Susano'o** ]!" I shouted desperately, the chaka construct forming around me rapidly into it's fully cloaked form as he swung his staff at me. Retaliating I swung the [ **Susano'o** ]'s kodachi in response, meeting the black staff with a resounding… resonating sound that I couldn't for the life of me describe.

The spectre reached out to place a hand on the construct, making my eyes widen, the Preta Path allowed the user to absorb all forms of chakra. Cutting the technique off I charged forward and slashed at him with my Kodachi. "[ **Eight Stroke Beheading** ]!" the technique I copied from Orochimaru all those years ago coming into play as I struck out eight times in rapid succession, every strike aimed at the spectre's head.

Only two of the strikes hit, scoring blows across both sides of the neck, but doing too little damage for my tastes, and with it being a spectre, that meant my tried and trued method of bleeding it to death wouldn't work so well on it.

As my swing carried my arm to the side I allowed my momentum to carry me as I lifted my leg to strike out at his chin only for him to sweep his staff around, taking my other leg out from under me.

I placed a hand on the ground, channeling chakra to my palm in a version of the [ **Wall Walking** ] chakra control exercise to root me in place I pulled myself back, pulling my legs just out of reach of his empty palm before he could absorb my chaka from me directly. "[ **Shinra Tensei** ]," the spectre announced, slamming me with the repulsion technique.

Ah, he must have used that when I launched my wind ninjutsu to negate most of the damage, the clinical part of my mind noted as I bounced along the ground before regaining my feet under me and sliding to a stop just in time to see him charging at me again.

"[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" I announced, releasing the jutsu I didn't need seals for any longer before my right eye began to bleed again.

"[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" seven 'mes' shouted as they all released at once, stacking on top of one another to create a supersized fireball right behind my original one.

I didn't stop there as I formed more seals. "[ **Earth Release: Rock Gun** ]!" I announced before inhaling and began spitting out tiny pebbles that grew into fist sized rocks in a rapid series.

The rocks, travelling faster than my fireballs passed through the largest one, unfortunately dispersing my flames, but my objective had been achieved as the dozen or so rocks I spat out were now _on fire_ as they hurdled at the spectre who had been preparing to absorb the chakra flames.

While he was able to dodge the majority of them, four of them did manage to slam into him, one on his chest, two on his shoulders and the last on on his upper right thigh.

Seeing him stumble I ignored the feeling of pain from my eyes and charged forward. "[ **Water Release: Chakra Flow** ]," I announced as moisture from the area began circling around my kodachi before flowing onto it. I was just barely ten feet away from him when I slashed my kodachi at him, the water on the blade leaping out like a whip to slash at him as he recovered only for him to block the whip with his staff.

Not allowing any time for him to recover I continued slashing at him with the whip of water attached to my blade, leaving long furrows in the ground as my attacks were deflected.

My free hand began forming more seals, my brow sweating in concentration as I split my focus. "[ **Water Release: High Pressure Bullets** ]!" I shouted forming three bullets of water that shot at the spectre.

My left eye throbbed just as he was about to deflect them with his staff only for them of vanish, reappearing at his back at the exact same velocity that they vanished at as they slammed into his back, throwing him forward.

It didn't do a lot of damage, but it was enough for me to for the long string of seals required for my next technique. "[ **Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet** ]!" I shouted as the moisture gathered on the walls and water from my earlier water techniques gather into a massive chinese dragon made of water that launched itself at the spectre.

He reached out and as soon as the water touched his hand the dragon collapsed, the Preta Path sucking all of the water from the construct, leaving it to drop to the ground, creating pools of mud all around it.

"Kami-damn it," I groaned, panting from exertion, my eyes flicking to my 'HUD'.

 **CP:** 2,587

Damn… that was a lot of my chakra depleted.

[ **Spectre of the Six Paths** ] **Level 60  
HP: 7,136  
CP: 8,085**

Damn… I need to find a way to end this guy before I run out of chakra.

Swallowing I pulled myself upright as he stared at me impassively. I moved first, using my [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] technique to launch myself at him at my maximum speed, closing the distance in the space of _a second_ , a second that was all he needed for him to strike out with his staff, directly into the ground.

I _slammed_ my foot into the ground, launching myself into the air as I flipped, heels over head, the spectre following my movement with all three of his eyes before jerking his staff above him to strike me while I was airborne.

I thrusted my blade, meeting the tip of his staff with the tip of my kodachi, and surprising the _both_ of us by balancing there.

It was only for a couple of heartbeats that we stared at each other in wide eyed shock. But that was plenty of enough time for me to activate my eyes again.

"[ **Earth Release: Rock Gun** ]!" Seven 'mes' shouted at once as several dozen fist sized rocks came charging at him from all directions.

"[ **Shinra Tensei** ]!" the spectre announced loudly, the repulsion force blowing me up to the ceiling, but I kept him with my sight as my left eye joined my right in bleeding.

"[ **Ama-no Ukihashi** ]" I announced, gritting my teeth as my eyes _burned_. All of the rocks that he had just deflected reappearing right beside him, arrayed in a way that gave him no way out as he began to be bombarded by the rocks.

Light blue chakra began to envelop my right arm, surrounding it and my kodachi. "[ **Susano'o: Chakra Flow Scalpel** ]!" I screamed as the ribcage of my [ **Susano'o** ] surrounded me, a singular arm formed alongside of the arm I was gripping a kodachi with, the phantasmal weapon the Susano'o was wielding was alight with more chakra than normal. "[ **Straight Slash** ]!"

I swung my arm down as fast as I could, the partial [ **Susano'o** ] following my every movement as the massive chakra blade came crashing down onto the off balance spectre who managed to reach his arm up to absorb the technique.

While each of my eyes had a cooldown period, [ **Kamiyonanayo** ] was longer than [ **Ama-no Ukihashi** ], but among the many things [ **Ama-no Ukihashi** ] could repeat, was [ **Kamiyonanayo** ].

It hurt, alot, replicating two jutsus at once, but I grit my teeth and bore the pain as I replicated [ **Susano'o: Chakra Flow Scalpel - Straight Slash** ] seven times simultaneously with [ **Kamiyonanayo** ].

The result you may ask?

Well, aside from completely emptying my tank, it caused several phantasmal [ **Susano'o** ] arms to slash down on the occupied spectre who eyes widened at the sight, seconds before he vanished under the slamming of blades upon him.

I coughed as I landed on the ground, groaning in pain as I fought to stay conscious grunting as I tried to lift myself up.

" **Descendant,** " the powerful voice boomed as the dust settled, showing the Spectre standing there, injured badly, cuts running all along it's body… but _still standing_. " **You have proven yourself worthy, the Sacred Treasure is yours.** "

The spectre stepped closer, I belatedly noticing the Naginata in his grasp. " **Wield its power with honor, and never falter from your path,** " the voice announce as the Naginata was presented to me.

Gritting my teeth, I reached out with a shaky hand and clasped the weapon, gasping as _something_ began to fill me, the Naginata lighting up with the same light blue chakra as my [ **Susano'o** ], the weapon became indistinct as it's name filled my head.

 **Amenonuhoko.**

Then, the world went black.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 54  
 **EXP** : 3,015/27,000 **  
Age:** 11 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Jonin (+50% to all Reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP - **2,600 **  
CP -** 8,600  
 **STR -** 58 (62) **  
INT -** 108 **  
DEX -** 120 (140) **  
VIT -** 58 **  
WIS -** 100 **  
LUK -** 40  
 **Ryo** \- 4,672,153

 **New Perk!**

 **Intellectual** \- Given upon reaching 100 in INT stat -50% Chakra Cost for all chakra based techniques

 **The Wise** \- Given upon reaching 100 in WIS stat - +50% CP regeneration in combat

 **New Skills!**

 **Fire Release: Crimson Flames** (Level 58 - 92.76%) **-** User unleashes a flamethrower of crimson red flames from her mouth. High chance of inflicting **[Burn].**

 **Fire Release: Crimson Orb** (Level 43 - 0.97%) **-** User fires a fist-size orb of crimson fire that explodes on impact. Flames have a high chance for crits and for inflicting **[Burn].**

 **Water Release: Mantle of the Blue Dragon (upgraded version of Water Mantle)** (Level 63- 60.97%) **-** The user is shrouded in a cape made of highly condensed water that protects the user from harm. Reduce damage from Fire ninjutsu by 50%, lower chance of receiving critical hits while active.

 **Water Release: High Pressure Bullet** (Level 40 - 75.92%) **-** A more powerful version of the Water Style: Liquid Bullet Jutsu, the amount of water in each bullet is equal to a water tower and is fired as fast as an actual bullet. Fires 2-3 bullets at once.

[ **Water Release: Chakra Flow** ] (Level 43 - 0.97%) - Releases water chakra along the blade that then extends out to strike in a whip like fashion

[ **Wind Release: Great Breakthrough** ](Level 36 - 6.32%) - creates a powerful blast of wind to knock enemies back or send objects flying.

[ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ] (Level 59 - 21.88%) - User unleashes a massive swath of flames in front of them. Guarantees [ **Burning** ] status

[ **Earth Release: Rock Gun** ] (Level 24 - 10.07%) - user shoots up to twelve pebbles out of their mouth that then grow in size, size varies on level

[ **Susano'o: Chakra Flow Scalpel - Straight Slash** ] - Using the [ **Susano'o** ] as a medium for the [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] the user swings a single slash in a vertical fashion.


	13. Chapter 12: Halcyon Days

" **With creation, comes destruction, and with destruction, comes creation** ," the voice was… indescribable, like it was a thousand different ones speaking at once, all the while being a single voice. " **With this Treasure, the earth was risen and given form, and with this treasure, all can be returned to dust.** "

Honestly, what the fuck is this shit, I had no idea where I was, it felt… it felt like when I was first reincarnated… oh god, did I _die!?_

" **For one to understand how to create, one must understand how to destroy,** " the voice continued speaking, unmindful of my mental breakdown. " **You humans are the closest species to understand this truth in quite a while. I wonder, will you be able to truly master the Amenonuhoko, or, will you be like so many other mortals and crumble under the weight of its power?** _ **He**_ **has marked you, but he is always fickle with his gifts. Should you succeed in mastering the Amenonuhoko, I would be interested in acquiring you myself. Keep a strong will, mortal, for what you wield is a Sacred Treasure, and it is just as likely to master you as you mastering it.** "

Well… that wasn't ominous at all!

The voice chuckled in amusement before it seemed to dismiss me.

* * *

A ragged gasp escaped my throat as I sat bolt upright from my… whatever that was.

 **You have slept for five hours on the cold hard ground.**

 **HP &CP Restored by 10%!**

Well… that's better than nothing I guess…

I blinked several times, trying to focus on the world beyond the box only for everything to be greeted by a blur. Ah, I appeared to have overused my Mangekyou Sharingan with that last stunt, combining a three abilities sounds cool on paper _and_ in application. The after effects… not so much. Now… what happened to the Quest Alert, ah, there it is

* * *

 **SIDE QUEST COMPLETED**

 **Prove yourself to the Spectre of Six Paths**

 **Reward**

 **Able to use the Sacred Treasure Amenonuhoko when [Susano'o] is active.**

* * *

Huh.

So… I gained a special weapon like Itachi had with the Totsuka no Tsurugi and Yata no Kagami? Well, can't complain about that.

"[ **Skills** ]" I called out, hoping that the weapon would appear in it.

 **[Amenonuhoko (Heavenly Jeweled Spear)] (Active)** **[Level N/A]** \- Allows one to freely control the earth and shape it according to one's desires, even changing the very elemental composition. Steep chakra cost.

It was indeed there, and mother of god, on paper it sounded simple, earth shifting. In application though, it was something else altogether, being able to change the very _elemental composition_? Dear god that would make me an incredible asset for production alone, just touch the ground and boom, massive blocks of steel, weapons grade or otherwise.

Hell, I could crash the whole goddamn economy by producing massive quantities of gold and other rare metals.

In combat, I would be a nightmare, the very earth that we stood upon changed to a massive spiked pit, or just simply opened up into a black void that was then closed, with them inside. Mother of all the Kamis this… this was _not_ going to help me with suppressing the god complex my Mangekyou was trying to give me.

Shaking my head, I closed the box and got to my feet, looking around the cave. Well… this place got fucked up _big time_ , the ground was ruins, some rocks were _still_ burning, my dear kami, my Mangekyou Sharingan was devastating when used right.

Still, I had a mission to complete, and I don't want to annoy the Daimyo by taking longer than necessary.

* * *

Thankfully, by the time I reached the capital of Hi no Kuni I was healed up and my clothing was repaired from the damage that the spectre, ensuring that she was presentable to the Fire Daimyo.

"Thank you for retrieving this box," the Daimyo announced as I knelt before him, having handed the box to one of his guards. "I trust the example has been made?"

"Of course, Daimyo-sama," I assured, keeping my voice neutral. "Their bodies shall send the message to any who would think of attacking you on what will happen."

The man hummed in acceptance, waving himself with his fan. "So young, yet so skilled," he said in an approving manner. "Would you be interested in joining my Ninja Guardians?"

"I'm flattered, Daimyo-sama, but I have responsibilities back home that require my near constant attention at this time," I declined politely. "I thank you for the offer all the same."

"Mm, very well, you may leave, please pass my message onto Hiruzen for me, will you?" he requested as one of the guards stepped forward with a scroll and letter.

"Of course, Daimyo-sama," I assured as I stood up, bowing at the waist before accepting the items. "'By your leave, I shall return to Konoha now, Daimyo-sama."

He waved his fan at me, dismissing me, allowing me to leave his presence

I waited until I was out of the palace, reacquiring my… _visible_ weapons on my way out, before letting out a great sigh and relaxing. "Stupid stuffy nobles," I murmured to myself as I began walking through the capital, eager to get home. Unfortunately, by law it was illegal to 'ninja run' through the capital unless it was an emergency.

So, I was hoofing it until I was past the city limits, still there were some good merchant stands along the way, allowing me to pick up some souvenirs for little Naruto-kun and my mother on the way out, and nearly break the arm of a pickpocketer who obviously didn't see the Konohagakure Hitai-ate on my forehead.

Soon enough I was out of the city, allowing me to pick up my pace and cutting the five day walk, into a five hour trip, sometimes, being a ninja was awesome.

Still, I was yawning as I entered the gates to Konoha, confirming my identity with the Chunin on guard before making my way to the Hokage's Tower to report in.

Signalling one of the ANBU guards about having a message from the Daimyo, I repressed my yawn and rubbed my bleary eyes as I waited for Sarutobi-sama to arrive.

If he was tired, he definitely hid it better than I did as he walked in, accepting the message and scroll I was carrying for the Daimyo.

"How did the mission go?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow as I hid a yawn behind my hand.

"Simple enough, went there, met some bandits, might've gotten a little carried away practicing my [ **Susano'o** ] on them," I shrugged, it wasn't that I didn't trust Sarutobi-sama with my new powers, but, I'm pretty sure Danzo had some kind of way to get information in this room, and I didn't want to tip the warhawk to my new weapon in any way, shape or form, unless I was using it to shove an earth spike up his crippled ass.

"I see," he said after a moment of silence. "Very well then, please do be more careful in the future, can't have Naruto-kun's guardian going blind, now can we?"

"Of course not, Sarutobi-sama," I replied, smirking tiredly at him in response. "If you don't mind, I would _love_ go and get some sleep."

"Go ahead, Yuriko-chan," he chuckled, waving me off. "Welcome home."

* * *

 **MANDATORY QUEST COMPLETE!**

 **Objective  
Eliminate the Blood Hand Bandit tribe and retrieve the Daimyo's item**

 **Reward  
25,000 EXP and +7,500 Reputation with the Fire Daimyo**

 **Bonus Objective  
Made an Example of the leader of the Tribe - Complete  
Found the Shrine to the Sage of Six Paths - Complete**

 **Reward  
+1,000,000 Ryo  
Access to the quest to obtain the Sacred Treasure Amenonuhoko**

* * *

 **You have gained a level!**

I barely even blinked at the sight of the completion box before closing it and making my way to my mother's home. By this time, Naruto-kun was most definitely asleep, I was _far_ too tired to wake him up in the middle of the night to simply try and put him _back_ asleep, so I'll just fall asleep at my mother's house for the night.

Greeting my mother and brother, I entered and gave them a _very_ abbreviated version of the mission - found some bandits, killed some bandits - before heading off to bed and crashing into it face first, only pausing to take my kodachi from my leg and placing it on top of my old dresser.

* * *

 **You have slept nine hours on your bed!  
HP&CP Recovered 100%**

Getting out of bed, I let out a jaw cracking yawn as I stretched before leaving my room, the tell tale squealing sound of Naruto-kun's giggling telling me he was in the kitchen.

"Naruto-kun!" I greeted as I entered the kitchen, spotting the child in his playpen with my brother as they played with some blocks.

"Mama!" Naruto-kun cried out happily as he reached out for me to pick him up.

I blinked, pausing for a second before picking him up, looking at my brother suspiciously as he grinned at me before shrugging. "What you are pretty much," he countered my unsaid argument as Naruto-kun hugged me as best as one year old could.

I rolled my eyes at him before greeting my mother with a hug. "How was the mission?" she asked me as I moved around, Naruto-kun in one arm, preparing a cup of coffee for myself.

"Tiring," I admitted. "Wasn't hard, they went down easily, just decided to come straight home instead of spending the night at the capital."

I picked up the container of sugar and started to pour it into my coffee only for the stream of white grains to miss and spill across the counter, I bit back a curse as I hurriedly set the container down.

"Sweetie?" my mother said in a voice that caused me to freeze. "How much did you use your Mangekyou on the mission?"

I sighed as I slumped a bit, not even noticing as Naruto-kun managed to get my hair into his mouth - he in that stage where _everything_ was edible apparently - until he started to chew on it. Quickly freeing my poor defenseless hair from his grasp, I turned to my mother. "Against the bandits? Not much, just doing some testing with [ **Susano'o** ] that needed some live targets," I admitted, not quite meeting her gaze. "When I was making my check through for any survivors or anything useful, ended up finding some kind of hidden door that _somehow_ triggered my Mangekyou Sharingan, I entered and followed a path that led to a Shrine for the Sage of Six Paths," I paused as the two stared at me, flabbergasted. "Yeah… pretty much, then my stupid gaming powers kicked in and I had to fight a spectre of the Six Paths, which led to me using the full extent of the Mangekyou right from the start."

My brother coughed on air at that bit of the news, his eyes widening even further in shock as he stared at me, which considering he had his sharingan active, was pretty amusing to see really. "A _spectre of the Six Paths_!?" he managed to choke out.

"Yeah… uh… I _may_ have found **Amenonuhoko** … and can now use it with my [ **Susano'o** ]," I finished up with a sheepish smile.

* **THUMP** *

Oh dear, I hope mom didn't hurt herself from fainting onto the wooden floor.

* * *

While we waited for our mother - and Naruto-kun's adopted aunt - to recover from her fainting spell, my brother grilled me on the fight with the spectre, nearly tearing his hair out about the fact that I decided to replicate my [ **Susano'o** ] seven times and alter its trajectory _seven times_.

While he was ranting about it, I started actually trying to think of a name for it while allocating the stat points from my level up last night, spending four points to bump my STR and VIT up to 60 while spending my last point on my LUK.

"Well!?" my brother half shouted, bringing my attention back to his frantic ranting and raised my eyebrow at him.

"Well what? I stopped paying attention when you started ranting," I admitted with complete honesty, getting him to let out something that sounded like a strangled shout and a sob.

"The fact that if you go blind _before_ I transfer my eyes into yours, then that's it, there ain't no going back!" he told me in a rather high pitched voice.

"Sakaki-nii-san, if I _didn't_ do it, I wouldn't be sitting here for you to rant at," I countered with a look that told him he was being stupid. "Hm… how does… [ **Susano'o: Kamiyonanayo - All Directions Straight Cut** ] sound for the name of the technique?"

"You want to _name_ it?" he gaped at me. "You're planning on using it again, aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes at him again. "Well if I have to I will," I told him. "After all, I can't _not_ use it if I need to."

Sakaki-nii groaned as he slumped into the chair across from me as I started to feed the bottomless pit named Naruto-kun. "Just… just wait until you get my eyes… _please_ ," he all but begged me.

"Fine~" I sighed dramatically, grinning at him.

"That grin does _nothing_ to soothe my fears," he told me in complete deadpan, making me laugh.

* * *

"Y'know, Fugaku-sama… I get they're supposed to be geniuses and all that, but I don't think having _me_ as his sparring partner is exactly fair," I commented to the clan leader who merely chuckled in response, nearby a now two year old Naruto-kun was playing with Sasuke-kun, across from me were the pair of Shisui and Itachi Uchiha.

"Perhaps, but they could use the experience of fighting more experienced opponents, especially now that they're genin," he countered, glancing over at the two who were preparing themselves, Itachi as expressionless as usual, the older Shisui sporting a small grin, eager to spar against me.

I groaned as I rubbed my neck. "Alright then, I guess," I sighed as I looked over at Shinsui and drew out my kodachi, spinning it around a few times before settling in my stance and activating my sharingan. "I'll let you make the first move, Shisui-kun."

His face settled into a calm mask as he drew out his tanto from over his shoulder and _blurred_ from existence.

Huh, so this was the [ **Body Flicker** ] that he used to make his name.

A crack sounded as I made a [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] assisted vertical jump, Shisui gaping as his slash passed through empty air.

I slashed at him as he came down only for him to fade away. "So quick you leave an afterimage, huh?" I vocalized as I leapt to the side, dodging another strike at my back before slamming my foot into the ground and launched myself at him, gripped the ground with a chakra infused hand I flipped myself up to slam my foot into him as he tried to slip around me, leaving another afterimage behind to confuse me.

I finished my flip and grabbed his arm before he could slip away again and pulled him into a headbutt onto the bridge of his nose, a crack being heard as my hitai-ate slammed into it - those things were so useful for headbutting people - before kicking him away, and unknown to him, leaving one of my marker seals on him.

He charged forward again, his form blurring as afterimages began to appear. I ignored them as I focused on Shisui's mark, following it with ease as I blocked his tanto with my kodachi, his eyes widening in surprise as I didn't seem to be fooled by his afterimages.

Grinning, I broke the deadlock and went on the offensive, slashing at him rapidly forcing him to block them with his tanto as he was driven back. As his eyes twitched in the direction of my blade I planted my foot into his stomach, causing him to cough at the sudden impact before I drove my right elbow into his chest and followed up with a straight palm thrust to the solar plexus.

Not giving him any time to recover I spun around him as I grabbed his shoulder and hauled him off of his feet and throwing him into a nearby tree.

I had to give him credit, he managed to recover himself midair and landed feet first on the tree and stuck there, eying me warily. I didn't move to chase after him as I got back into my preferred stance, content to let him make his next move.

He blurred forward again, not directly at me this time, instead he was moving rapidly around me, leaving afterimages behind him in a confusing mess of black blurs. Keeping a mental track of his marker I considered my options before grinning, this was the perfect chance to test my own technique after all.

I formed a single handed tiger seal while initiating not only the [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] jutsu, but also the [ **Body Flicker** ] jutsu.

And then, in front of three pairs of fully matured Sharingan, I vanished.

Unlike Shisui's admittedly masterful use of the [ **Body Flicker** ], I didn't leave behind any afterimages, it was just one second I was there, the next second I was gone from there and now directly behind my target.

The [ **Inaba Flicker** ] my powers named it after I experimented with it, trying to see if they would combine properly. An ultra-speed movement technique that allowed me to literally vanish from my enemies line of sight.

Shisui gasped as my foot collided with him as I started coming out of my movement technique, sending him sliding along the ground, stunned from the impact.

I winced as I rubbed my thighs, there was a cost to the technique though, at its current level, the more I used it, the greater chance I had of ripping my own muscles apart from the speed.

"Shisui, can you continue?" Fugaku-sama questioned the down boy who groaned in pain. "I think he's done for now," he said after a second.

"While he _is_ pretty quick, I did spar quite a bit with Minato-sama," I commented with a chuckle. "Unfortunately teleportation trumps high-speed movement."

"Teleporting trumps a _lot_ of things," Fugaku snorted before looking at me appraisingly. "What was the last move you used?"

"I call it the [ **Inaba Flicker** ]," I told him with a wink. "I took the [ **Body Flicker** ] technique and applied it to my own [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] technique."

Fugaku nodded in understanding as Itachi checked over his friend in worry before the older one could wave him off.

"Nee-chan!" Little Naruto-kun cried out happily, clapping his hands together at my victory. "Nee-chan wins!"

I laughed as I crouched down next to him and Sasuke-kun. "That's right I did!" I confirmed with a wide smile. "Now, you ready to meet with Hokage-jiisan?"

"Jiji!" Naruto-kun cried out happily, allowing me to pick him up after ruffling Sasuke-kun's hair, he was just so _adorable_ when he pouted after I do that.

"Shisui-kun," I called out to the recovering boy. "I would suggest you branch out a bit more, while speed is a powerful thing to catch your enemies off guard, I would suggest you supplement it with some ninjutsu, especially wind if you can manage it."

"Right… thanks for the advice, Yuriko-senpai," he said, smiling at me, getting a smile in response from me, such a nice boy.

* * *

Urgh… _another_ stupid mission that requested me specifically, and on Naruto-kun's fourth birthday too! I shook my head as I continued to run through the trees heading to my mission destination, he was so disappointed when I told him.

Unfortunately this was yet another mission from the Daimyo himself, seemed to be happening at least three times a year now where he'd send me out on some mission or another. Thankfully I didn't have to report to him in person this time around, last time I went his 30 year old son kept staring at my chest, urgh, talk about a creeper. I mean sure, they are somewhat large for my age of 14, but still, I'M GODDAMN _**14**_!

A sharp whistling broke me from my musings as I dodged a kunai thrown at my head. Letting out a sigh I shook my head and traced the path of the kunai to find a burly looking bald man with a slashed Iwagakure hitai-ate. "Wait… let me guess, I killed your brother/sister/mother/father/'insert-relationship-here', now I should prepare to die?" I questioned in a bored tone, Onoki actually never sent any shinobi at me like he threatened, but it didn't mean a good number of them didn't go out of their way to try and get revenge. "Does that sound about right?"

"Nah, not really, just here for your bounty," the bounty hunter ninja informed with a grin.

I blinked in response, staring at him. "Ah, you mind tossing me your book, haven't checked my page in the last few years to be honest," I requested politely, getting a chuckle from him before he actually tossed it to me, waiting patiently for me to open to my page.

* * *

 **[Bloody Scalpel Yuriko] - S-Ranked Bounty  
Official Name: Yuriko Uchiha  
Age: 14  
Rank: Elite Jonin  
Specialty: Kenjutsu/Iryojutsu  
Most Used Jutsu: Unique Chakra Flow with the properties of the Chakra Scalpel Technique - WARNING: TECHNIQUE IS HIGHLY LETHAL EVEN WITH A GRAZE!  
Bounty: 7,500,000 Ryo - Payable by Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure  
BONUS: An additional 5,000,000 will be paid for an intact corpse with Sharingan still intact.  
Rating: Engage with Caution**

* * *

I stared at the page for several moments. "I don't even remember pissing any of them off recently-" I cut myself off before I let out an 'ah'. "Right… the Seven Swordsmen incident, the Mizukage was pretty pissed about that…"

Hey, it wasn't _my_ fault that four of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist decided to 'teach me what a real swordsman looked like'. At least I was kind enough not to take their swords when I left!

The bounty hunter laughed in response to my statement. "Pretty much, so, sorry, I actually kinda like how you pissed off the fence sitter at the end of the Third War, not to mention you killed that asshole Shizaki, seriously fuck that guy," he grumbled as he shook his head. "But, well, you saw your bounty."

"No, no, I quite get it, tempting to turn _myself_ in for that kind of money," I said, shaking my head, "I kinda feel bad about what's going to happen now."

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" He questioned challengingly, sounding… _eager_ to see what I had planned, ah man, now I feel worse, this guy just wants to fight the strong guys.

"Sorry, but you'll be helping me test something," I announced as my Mangekyou Sharingan appeared, the light blue chakra of my [ **Susano'o** ] erupting around me as it took form, **Amenonuhoko** in hand. "But with us so far away from… well… _everything_ this is just too perfect of a chance to train with my **Amenonuhoko**."

The man didn't seem daunted in the least by my [ **Susano'o** ] and Sacred Treasure, instead his slammed his fists together and got into a stance, I let out a sad sigh, man, if I had only been two years older, than I would've felt at ease sitting down and having drink with this guy first. "No hard feelings if I kill ya, right?" he asked as his chakra began to surge within him.

I gave him an honest grin that only _might_ have been a bit blood thirsty. "Normally I would say there would be, but with you, I don't think there will be any," I replied honestly, my [ **Susano'o** ] getting itself into a stance. "What's your name?"

"Kan Matsushina," he announced as his chakra became visible to a normal eye, cloaking his body as if it were armor. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Yuriko Uchiha!"

Ah… politeness and professionalism, so rare these days. "The pleasure is mine, Kan-san," I assured him, grinning myself. "Professionalism like yours is so hard to find these days, now, are you ready for us to try and kill each other?"

He was.

Kan Matsushina is a man I don't think I will _ever_ forget, that chakra cloak of his was something else as it enhanced not only his defenses, but his offense and speed, easily putting him in pace with my [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] technique.

Quite honestly, if I didn't have **Amenonuhoko** I might've died, the Naginata made things painfully easy as the very earth rebelled against the bounty hunter, spikes erupting around him, metal bars getting in his way.

Hell, the man punched through a goddamn pole of _titanium_ , I honestly wished we weren't killing each other and I could convince him to come to Konoha, I would _love_ to have seen that strength pitted against the Akatsuki.

Eventually, however, it came down to a battle of attrition that he sadly lost, his chakra cloak dropping for only a split second as his endurance wavered. It was all I needed for several spears of metal to lance up, piercing his vital organs, the man actually let out a rasping laugh as he died.

Such a damn shame, I liked him.

* * *

I frowned as I walked through the streets of Konoha, Naruto-kun was with Sasuke-kun for a playdate and a sleepover that I arranged with Mikoto-san for 'some personal time'. That wasn't the truth though, tonight there was a Kumogakure delegation here to try and kidnap a five year old Hinata Hyuuga, an attempt that was ultimately stopped, but at the cost of Hizashi Hyuuga's life to keep the peace with Kumogakure.

My sharingan eyes spotted a quickly moving figure near the Hyuuga compound, a large bundle on his back as he moved.

Like fuck I was going to let that happen. I activated the [ **Inaba Flicker** ] technique and gave chase to the fleeing shinobi, overtaking him and landing right in front of him, causing him to skid to a stop.

"And what do you have in that bag that would be making you run from the Hyuuga compound?" I questioned, sure I may only be fifteen and most fifteen year olds aren't all that intimidating, but I was in the middle of my growth spurt, sitting at a decent 5'5" with a toned body and quite the flattering figure if I had any say in it, but I was a kami damned _S-ranked threat_ , my mere presence alone should be threatening. "Not to mention running along the rooftops, you do realise that only makes us _more_ suspicious considering we told you _not_ to do that within these walls."

The man growled a bit, I'm pretty sure he was able to recognize _who_ I was, considering that I would've been one of the shinobi he would have been briefed about, his eyes darting around, looking for an escape route.

"Look, set the kid down, and we can talk this out," I said in a low tone, my kodachi flashing in the moonlight as I drew it, the weapon being suffused with a glow. "If you come in peacefully, I can guarantee that this will have only… a minor effect on the treaty."

Huh, he was actually setting Hinata down, how about tha-

Ah, now he's charging, death by shinobi, eh?

"So be it," I sigh before vanishing from his eyes. Appearing behind him I hit both of his shoulders and hamstrings in rapid succession, using the chakra scalpel to precisely target his hamstrings, crippling him as his muscles failed him. "Seriously, you _really_ thought we'd just _let_ you do this? Fucking idiot."

"Fucking… Uchiha… _bitch_!" the man grunted out before I knocked him out with a brutal kick to the head, turning as a frantic Hyuuga Hiashi appeared and pointed to the sack the man was carrying.

The man ripped the sack open to find his unconscious daughter within, not even waiting to ask, I stepped up, placing my glowing hands on her, looking for anything wrong with her.

"A sleeping drug," I assured him gently as I began to purify her of the drug. "She will be woozy for a few hours, but don't let her fall asleep for three hours until it's completely out of her system."

Hiashi sighed in relief. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "I don't know how to repay you for this."

I quirked a grin at him in response. "No need for thanks, this village is my home, and the villagers my family, no way I would let someone kidnap a member of my family," I told him with a chuckle.

Hiashi studied me for several moments after my statement before he was distracted by little Hinata-chan stirring from her slumber.

Sometimes… all the pain, all the stress, all the work, was totally worth it.

This was one of those moments, I decided as I watched the father hug his daughter in relief before picking up the Kumo-nin and headed for T&I, wonder how much _this_ was going to change things?

* * *

I stood behind Naruto-kun, my hands on his shoulders as he looked up at me, his six year old face grinning as we listened to Sarutobi-sama give his speech to the new students of the Academy, beside us, Fugaku-sama, Mikoto-san and Itachi-kun were standing with Sasuke-kun. With how much time Naruto-kun had spent in the Uchiha district - either when I was visiting or staying with my family while out on a mission, the two ended up become fast friends, even if they did spend much of the time arguing with each other.

"Just you wait, nee-chan, I'm going to be a better shinobi than you!" Naruto-kun proudly declared, making me smile warmly in response.

I giggled a bit at him, tweaking his nose and making his face scrunch up in an adorable manner. "I look forward to see that day," I told him honestly, patting his shoulder comfortingly.

We turned back to the Hokage as he continued to speak, it was a strange feeling welling up inside of me, as I stood there with Naruto-kun, I knew he would be a splendid shinobi, and I did my best to try and raise him right for Minato-sama and Kushina-san. There were bumps along the way, with me only being a teenager trying to raise a child, of _course_ there would be, but, we came out of it strong.

Not once did my love for my bundle of sunshine waver, nor have I ever doubted his love for me, the child wore his heart on his sleeve and always hugged me tightly after we cooled down from an argument.

"And so, I welcome you, future shinobi of Konohagakure," Sarutobi-sama announced to polite applause that I joined in with.

"You have everything?" I asked my little brother.

"My books, pencils, lunch, practice shuriken and kunai, yup, I have everything!" he announced with a beaming toothy grin.

"Alright then, ready for your first day?" I asked him, unable to help the gnawing feeling of worry inside of me.

"Yes, nee-chan," he said, rolling his eyes at having to answer my question for the fifth time that morning. "I'm ready, and I'll be with Sasuke and Hinata-chan if anything happens."

I bit the inside of my cheek as I tried to restrain myself from speaking more. In thanks to my effort for saving Hinata-chan from the Kumo nin, apparently me and Naruto-kun were welcome to visit the Hyuga clan whenever we wished, which allowed me to introduce Naruto-kun to Hinata-chan.

Letting out a sigh I kissed him gently on the forehead, making him squirm in embarrassment at the action. "Nee-chan~" he whined as he rubbed his forehead, making me giggle.

"You have a good day today, we'll go to Ichiraku's for dinner tonight," I told him, making his eyes widen in joy.

"YES!" he cheered loudly, making Sasuke-kun roll his eyes next to us.

"Calm down, Naruto, it's just ramen," he scoffed, getting me and Naruto to glare at him as his family chuckled.

"Take that back teme!" Naruto-kun swore as he began struggling against my grip to try and strangle his friend.

"Make me, dobe," Sasuke grunted as we three adults rolled our eyes at the familiar scene.

Life… life was good.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 65  
 **EXP** : 1,015/27,500 **  
Age:** 16 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Elite Jonin (+50% to all stats) **  
STATS  
HP - **2,600 **  
CP -** 8,600  
 **STR -** 75 (131) **  
INT -** 130 (195) **  
DEX -** 150 (262) **  
VIT -** 75 (131) **  
WIS -** 120 (780) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 25,542,153

 **New Skills!**

[ **Inaba Flicker** ] (Active) [ **Level 43 - 0.23%** ] - A combination of both the [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] and [ **Body Flicker** ] jutsus to create a ultra-speed movement. +543% to base movement speed, small chance of tearing leg muscles when active, 10 CP/Second


	14. Chapter 13: The ROOT of the Problem

A piercing screech filled the air as I flipped over a dog sized falcon as it tried to rake me with its claws. My kodachi flashed as it caught the sunlight before cleaving through one of the [ **Swamp Falcon** ]'s wings off, leaving it to crash into the murky swamp below.

Letting out a sigh I grimaced as I tried to brush the murky water out of my hair. "This is going to _murder_ my hair," I grumbled, next to me Sakaki-nii-san snorted as he threw a wind coated kunai at another falcon as we made our way through training ground 21, the [ **Woebegone Swamp** ]. While I _had_ wanted to come here quite sooner, life had the tendency to get in the way, especially when you're taking care of the _very_ energetic Uzumaki Jinchuuriki.

"You and your hair," he chuckled as he moved out of the way of another falcon before firing off a sealless and wordless [ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]. "You take more care of that then you do for your kodachi."

I hid my blush as I took out another falcon as I turned my back to him. "Mom wouldn't let me cut it, and it… just grew on me," I said, before groaning as I caught my unintentional pun.

My brother laughed as he caught it as well. "So, apparently there's something different with these training grounds after Kyuubi attack?" he questioned as he looked away. "You noticing anything?"

I shook my head in a negative. "Not yet anyways, but yesterday, I went through the [ **Blackwood Forest** ] and encountered a [ **Kyuubi-chakra Mutated Rabbit** ]," I shuddered at the memory, the rabbit wasn't all that hard to kill considering I was pretty much double its level and stats, but it made me nervous all the same, leading to me asking my brother to help me check out the [ **Woebegone Swamp** ]. "I just don't want someone coming into one of these and suddenly having thirty different Kyuubi affected mutations mobbing them."

My brother grimaced at the thought as he nodded in agreement. "We probably should tell Hokage-sama to section these training grounds off until we can clear them more thoroughly," he mentioned with a shake of his head before his head snapped up. "Heads up!"

Spurred by his warning, I vanished with the [ **Inaba Flicker** ] just in time for a monstrous falcon to fly through the space that I _had_ been occupying.

 **[Kyuubi Mutated Swamp Falcon] Level 45**

"And there's the other shoe," I muttered as I saw the crimson-red falcon flapped its wings to gain height on the two of us. "About 15 levels higher than the recommended level."

"Hrm, then it's a good thing we got here first, eh?" my brother chuckled as he took his stance beside me, getting a grin from me as I mimicked him, taking a quick glance at his stats.

 **Name:** Sakaki Uchiha **  
Level:** 70  
 **EXP** : 1,750/35,000 **  
Age:** 30  
 **Gender:** Male **  
Title:** Repulsor of the Kyuubi (Reputation with Konohagakure is set to [ **Exalted** ], +50% bonus to all stats, +100% to all reputation gains) **  
STATS  
HP -** 8,900 **  
CP -** 27,254 **  
STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 175 (262) **  
DEX -** 140 (245) **  
VIT -** 88 (132) **  
WIS -** 155 (232) **  
LUK -** 24 (36)  
 **Ryo** \- 12,986,631

I grinned wider, yeah, I think between the two of us, we've got this more than covered.

Unheeding the danger the two of us presented the mutated Falcon swept around to attack us only to be met by a wave of fire as the two of us unleashed [ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ] at him, our flames feeding off each other to grow more intense as the falcon barrel rolled out of the way, directly into me as I appeared next to it, my kodachi glowing with the [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ], slashing at its main body.

I grinned viciously as it's own mutated chakra tried to repulse mine only for mine to punch through. "Left lung disabled!" I shouted out to my brother as I landed on a tree top above the swamp.

"Got it!" Sakaki-nii-san shouted back as he finished forming his seals.

 **You have copied the [Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire] Jutsu!**

The flame that Sakaki-nii-san unleashed certainly lived up to its name as it rose to the heavens, catching the falcon in its maw as it tried to recover from the fact that I collapsed his left lung.

The two of us began forming seals as we looked up. "[ **Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere** ]!" the two shouted at once before expelling a sphere of compressed air into the burning jutsu, causing a massive explosion as the fire ninjutsu was enhanced by the two wind techniques.

 **You have killed the [Kyuubi Mutated Swamp Falcon]!**

 **5,000 EXP, 7,500 Ryo gained!**

"Well… that was simple," I said with a small release of breath as the two of us watched the burning body fall.

Sakaki-nii-san snorted in response, looking at me with amusement in his sharingan eyes. "Come on, let's find that boss and finish this up, classes should be finishing soon," he prompted, leaping forward. "After all, you have Sasuke-kun and Hinata-chan staying at your place tonight for the kid's project."

I let out a sigh at the reminder. "I know, I know," I said, rolling my eyes at him as we continued to move. "I don't think I'm going to be getting any sleep tonight."

My brother laughed in response to my misery, ducking out of the way as I made a half hearted swipe at him.

* * *

I smiled as I cleared the last of dinner away from the table, watching as Naruto-kun worked with Sasuke-kun and Hinata-chan on their report on the Third Shinobi War, apparently the three of them decided to do a report on the treaty signing, prompting them to decide on a sleep over.

Of course they said it was to get a first hand account on it from me, but that didn't fool me, they were just waiting till they were finished before they would make a mess of the apartment.

Chuckling a bit, I looked outside as the moon began to rise up over the monument, a frown flickering over my face briefly as an uncertain feeling began to fill me. This would be around the time that the Uchiha Massacre would begin, but the fact of the matter was, there was no _need_ for it, the Uchiha were respected by the populace, especially since the Night of the Kyuubi.

A sinking feeling formed in my gut as one of my markers began to quiver, a sign of someone being under attack. I focused on it and gasped as I realized it was my brother's marker. I bolted for the door, startling the children as my kodachi appeared in my hand. "Stay inside!" I shouted at them. "As soon as I leave, activate the seals, Naruto-kun!"

"N-nee-chan?" Naruto stammered in surprise, his blue eyes fearful.

"Do as I say!" I snapped out as I got my sandals on. "Do _not_ open the door unless it is Sarutobi-sama or myself and _only_ after we give you the code word!"

With those parting words I sprinted out of the house and activated [ **Inaba Flicker** ] to hurdle myself to the Uchiha District as fast as I could.

* * *

I let out a strangled gasp as I entered the district, there were bodies laying in the streets, obviously dead from the amount of blood pooling around them as I homed in on my brother's marker.

I gasped as I saw him, blood pouring from numerous wounds as he slumped against a wall to one of the larger houses. "NII-SAN!" I screamed out as I landed next to him, my hands alight with healing chakra. "W-who?" I questioned as the sinking feeling in my gut became more pronounced.

"I… tachi," my brother coughed weakly, oh kami… he's lost so much blood. "My eyes… take my eyes…"

"No!" I shouted, tears welling up in my eyes as I tried to desperately heal him. "No! I can save you… I… I can't let this happen again."

"S'not your… fault," my brother told me softly, managing to lifted his head up enough to smile at me. "You're… strong… stronger… than me…"

I shook my head as he placed a hand overtop of my own as the healing chakra sputtered out, unable to concentrate on the jutsu.

"Yuriko-chan," he breathed, pressing his bloody forehead against my own. "Take them, protect… the clan… I… bought time… for survivors… to seals themselves… in the safehouse…"

My eyes widened as I felt his pulse slow. "Nii… san?" I questioned as he slumped against me, all movement stilling as his heart stopped.

My breath froze, my stomach clenching as tears spilled from my eyes, unable to believe that my brother, the man who _teleported_ the kami-damned _KYUUBI_ had just died in my arms.

It started small, but quickly grew, I was angry.

My teeth gritted as I lay my brother on his back and lifted my hands onto his eyes, biting back a sob as I surgically removed his eyes. "Itachi…!" the name escaped my lips as I cursed, power pulsing through me as I felt a rage I never had felt before as I stood up, my brother's eyes vanishing as I placed them in a seal. "I WILL **KILL** YOU!"

A loud crack sounded as I launched myself towards the safehouse, not even caring if I overcharged the [ **Inaba Flicker** ] enough to cause it to damage me, I could see him in front of me.

"ITACHI!" I roared, the teen turning to see me charging at him with wide sharingan eyes as he barely managed to move himself out of the way from my scalpel enhanced fist. "You…" I growled as I skidded to a stop, glaring at him angrily. "My _brother_ … the _clan_ … you fucking…!" I was unable to form coherent sentences in my anger as he eyed me warily before his face stilled.

"I wanted to test my power," he replied in a toneless voice as his Sharingan morphed into its Mangekyou form. "I must say, your brother was… _disappointing_."

Something in me snapped at those words, light blue chakra swirled violently around me as the spectral skeleton of my [ **Susano'o** ] took form, Itachi's eyes widening in shock as it appeared. "Testing your power… is it?" I asked, my voice was shaking from my rage as as I stood up, my own Mangekyou sharingan bleeding tears of blood as I glared at Itachi. "Why don't you try testing _me_ , kinslayer?"

Itachi let out a strangled gasp as he barely managed to avoid getting bisected by the chakra creation's kodachi before a blast of fire forced him to use his substitution, his eye bleeding as black flames tried to consume my [ **Susano'o** ] only for his sight to be blocked by the ground as it rose up and _swallowed_ the black flames underground before settling.

"Little Itachi," I breathed, as I suddenly appeared next to him, the teen flinching as he leapt away from me. "Thinks he's _so strong_ because his eyes mutated," I couldn't help the near hysterical laughter that bubbled forth from my lips as I began walking towards him, my [ **Susano'o** ] reforming around me as I walked. "I _mastered_ my eyes, Little Itachi," **Amenonuhoko** formed in my [ **Susano'o** ]'s grasp, Itachi's eyes widening in shock again as he saw the weapon change. "I don't really try and use them that often, but there are times when it just feels so _right_ , like right now. You are going to _die_ , Itachi, so scream and beg for your pitiful life, so it can make me _**laugh!**_ "

I charged at him, the [ **Susano'o** ] swinging its naginata at him, prompting him to leap out of the way as it cleaved the ground seconds before spears of earth erupted from the ground to try and impale the traitor.

I never bothered forming the cloaked form of my [ **Susano'o** ] as I hunted the Uchiha-slayer with the skeletal form of my chakra creation, screaming his name as I chased after him. "Why do you run, Itachi!? I thought you wanted to test your powers!" I shouted at him as I dismissed the genjutsu he tried to place on me. "Genjutsu of _that_ lowly calibre won't work on me, kinslayer!"

Itachi grunted as a block of metal slammed into him from behind, sending him tumbling before he managed to pull off a substitution to avoid me stabbing him with **Amenonuhoko**. "You killed your _family_ , you killed my _brother_ , you _killed our clan_!" I screamed at him, ignoring the protest my throat was making from the harsh use. "All to test your power! Well, the ultimate test stands before you now, Itachi Uchiha! I served the Yondaime as his bodyguard! I'm on the Daimyo's shortlist for shinobi hired, Sarutobi-sama listens to my words! I am a veteran of _war_ , Itachi! So test your so-called _power_ on me!"

Itachi gasped in pain as his attempt to attack me from behind was met with the butt end of **Amenonuhoko** , bringing a near psychotic laugh to my lips. "Please, that's the _oldest_ tactic in the book," I taunted him as the skeletal [ **Susano'o** ] raised its weapon. "I guess the only way for you to _test your power_ is against civilians or attacking people from behind, isn't it?"

Itachi grimaced as he leapt back, out of the immediate range of my weapon, before he met my eyes and triggers his [ **Tsukiyomi** ]. The world around me became red in black as I smirked. "Little Itachi, I told you already, your genjutsu doesn't work on me," I announced, the very world cracking before shattering and returning me to the real world, just in time to see Itachi sprinting off.

"ITACHI!" I screamed after him as I made to go after him only for my eyes to pulse in pain as I collapsed to a single knee as several animal masked ANBU appeared. "Don't mind me, get after him!" I shouted at them as I waved in the direction Itachi fled, most of the squad leaping off to pursue him as two remained behind to help to my feet. "Not the hospital," I gasped out as my sharingan faded, everything almost completely blurred out for me. "Uchiha safehouse, survivors."

I saw one of the blobs in my remaining vision move a bit before they aided me moving as I managed to get my sharingan activated, my vision returning properly so that I could unlock the seal on the safe house.

Several people inside shouted in fear a bit as the door opened before sighing in relief at the sight of me with the ANBU supporting me. "Yuriko-chan!" my mother cried out as she ran up and helped me. "Your brother… where is he?"

I bit back the sob that welled up in me, my rage leaving me feeling empty as I leaned against my mother. "I… I wasn't able to save him," I sobbed against her as she wrapped my arms around her. "I… I was too weak… I couldn't save anyone again…"

My mother shushed me gently as she placed a finger against my lips. "You did though," she assured me, looking into the safehouse where dozens of civilians and a handful of genin and chunin were gathered. "You saved all of us in here."

I looked through the crowd as they began to gather around me, every one of them offering their silent support as they grimly nodded in agreement, the children remaining back with uncertain looks on their faces.

"Because of you, the Uchiha Clan _will_ recover," my mother whispered into my ear gently.

"And it will not do so alone," a new voice informed as Sarutobi-sama entered the safehouse, escorted by another pair of ANBU. "Konohagakure will do all we can to help support you all in your time of need, ANBU are already gathering and protecting the bodies of the fallen so that you may cremate them."

Everyone looked to me, making me blink and look to my mom who gave me a supporting smile. "You are the strongest one left, dear," she told me gently. "As of right now, you are the only one who can take the seat of Clan Head."

The crowd nodded in support as Sarutobi-sama looked on, making me bite my cheek. "Very well," I said with a heavy sigh as my mother assisted me with standing up. "How many of our shinobi survived?"

"Ten genin, five chunin and three jonin, including yourself, Yuriko-sama," one of my clansmen reported, making me feel odd at the attachment of that particular suffix to my name.

"Have the chunin join the ANBU in gathering our clansmen and cremate them," I ordered. "Then gather the ashes for a proper burial."

The five chunin saluted in response as they moved off to follow their orders… _my_ orders. "Genin, I need you to remain with the civilians," I told them. "Protect them as they gather up their belongings. Right now, our district is in no shape for habitation. Sarutobi-sama, is there a place we can temporarily reside in until we clean up and repair the damage?"

"Of course, I will have some teams prepare a complex for you right away," he assured, gesturing to a silver haired ANBU who leapt off.

I took in a careful breath before speaking. "We were hurt today," I announced, looking through the gathered crowd of survivors. "But we still live, Konoha will support us as we get back on our feet, we are _not_ alone in this, our village shares our pain, and should anyone try this again, they _will not_ live to regret it."

There were no shouts of encouragement or agreement, just grim and determined nods of my clansmen. "Alright, gather your necessities for the time being," I announced to them. "We'll meet at the clan gates to move to our new home for the time being in an hour."

The crowd nodded again before dispersing, leaving me alone with my mother, Sarutobi-sama and one of his guards, allowing me to slump against my mother. "Yuriko-chan?" my mother questioned as she supported my weight easily.

"I… I need you to do something, mom," I told her weakly. "My eyes are… they're almost gone," I reached for the seal I placed my brothers in and pulled them out. "I need you to perform the operation and… implant Sakaki-nii-san's into me."

My mother's breath caught for a moment before she frowned, nodded and turned to Sarutobi-sama and his guard. "Can you seal this place off?" she asked seriously. "We cannot allow anyone to see this."

Sarutobi-sama nodded in agreement and gestured to the ANBU, prompting the two of them to step outside before seals flashed into place around the building.

"I'm going to put you under now, alright?" my mother questioned looking down at me with a serious face, prompting a nod from me in return. "Alright, when you wake up…" she hesitated and swallowed tightly before continuing. "When you wake up, your eyes will be covered for about a week as they settle."

"Do it," I prompted her with a nod. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him…"

My mother smiled at me warmly, brushing my hair away from my forehead to place a kiss on it. "I know, but he knew what he was doing when he told us to get to the safe house," she whispered to me. "We can grieve later though."

I nodded in agreement. "Let Sarutobi-sama know that I had Naruto-kun seal off the apartment before I left," I told her. "Told him only to open the door to myself or him after giving the code word."

My mother nodded in assurance before placing a glowing hand on my forehead and the world fell away from me as I lost consciousness.

* * *

When I woke up the world was dark around me as I felt bandages wrapped around my head and covering my eyes, a small hand in my own as my sense of touch came back to me. "Naruto-kun?" I rasped out in question, my throat bone dry.

"Nee-chan!" a familiar voice called out as the hand in my own tightened around me. "You're awake!"

I quirked my lips into a smile. Even though I couldn't see it, I knew he was beaming a smile at me. "We're in the hospital?" I questioned him.

"Yeah, jiji brought me and Sasuke here, he… he told us what happened," Naruto-kun told me glumly. "Sasuke's been… crying since we got here, he's out in the hall right now with auntie."

I nodded in understanding. "Can you get me some water, Naruto-kun?" I asked him, and heard some tinkling before a glass was put to my lips, prompting me to drink the cool liquid. "Thank you, why don't you go and get Sasuke-kun and auntie, let them know I'm awake."

Even though I couldn't see him I was certain he was nodding in agreement before the pattering of his shoes hitting the floor told me he was doing just that, leaving me alone for a bit.

Even though I couldn't see the world around me with my eyesight blocked off, I could still 'See' the box before me.

 **You have repulsed Itachi Uchiha and saved the Uchiha Clan from extinction  
[Equal of the Clan Killer] title acquired!  
[Uchiha Clan Head] title acquired!**

 **You have had the operation to implant your brother's Mangekyou Sharingan into your own!  
Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan acquired!**

 **[Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan] (Active/Passive)[Level 100(MAX)]** \- the highest level of the Sharingan to be obtained, the EMS allows for the user to use their Mangekyou Sharingan abilities without straining their eyesight to the point of blindness, allows for the use of the [ **Susano'o: Complete Form** ]. +250% DEX when active, doubles chakra capacity when acquired, 15 CP/Second

I swallowed tightly as I was reminded of my brother's death before being distracted by the arrival of three pairs of feet. "Nee-chan…" Sasuke-kun called out to me morosely.

"Hey," I returned, opening my arms as an invitation, prompting two bodies to burrow into me. "I'm sorry I wasn't in time to save your parents, Sasuke-kun," I whispered to him as I hugged the two bodies tighter to me, I could feel Naruto-kun's familiar soft hair on my left while Sasuke's silkier hair brushed against my right. "Just remember, you're not alone, nee-chan will _always_ be here."

His body shuddered against me as I felt something wet press against me where his face was, letting me know Sasuke-kun was crying silently again me.

Despite feeling my own loss I still smiled and hugged him, feeling Naruto-kun shift around, probably to give his friend his own hug, "You still have family," I whispered to him gently, assuring him he wasn't alone. "And we will _never_ leave you alone."

The shuddering began to ease a bit as Sasuke-kun began to breath evenly. "He's asleep," my mother's soft voice told me gently. "He hasn't slept since he got here the night before last."

I nodded gently as I continued to hold my two little brothers. "I think they'll be fine right here," I replied, garnering a soft laugh from my mother before her lips brushed against my forehead. "I'll take care of the clan until we can take those bandages off," she assured me. "Rest," she prompted me. "We will be here when you wake up."

I nodded to show I heard her and relaxed back into the bed, and allowed the warmth of the two bodies against me to push me to sleep.

* * *

I looked down at the coffins arrayed before me and the rest of the survivors of the clan, in each of them is a jar of ash to represent the body, all around us were gathered members of the village with Sarutobi-sama standing before all of us, to my left was Sasuke-kun as he clutched at my hand, only leaving my side for brief moments at a time as he went to the washroom, before returning back to my side.

To my right was Naruto-kun, just as unwilling to leave my side as his rival as we listened to Sarutobi-sama give his eulogy for the Uchiha Clan members who were killed that night by Itachi. The shinobi of the Uchiha Clan stood at the forefront, our backs straight and unbent, a sign to those behind us and those that have passed that we will not stop doing our best to protect our home and our loved ones.

I gently squeezed Sasuke-kun's hand as he sobbed next to me, giving him what little comfort I could at the moment.

When Sarutobi-sama finished speaking he stepped back and nodded to me, the boys allowed my mother to take my place as I stepped forward to the front of the crowd before speaking. "I…" I tried to speak before the lump in my throat stopped me, prompting me to swallow back my tears before starting again. "I cannot claim to know every person who died that night," I finally managed to get out. "But… those that did, I will miss dearly, as I will for those that I didn't."

I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts before speaking up again. "While we lost many of our family today, we do _not_ stand here alone," I glanced around, seeing representatives of the various clans, shinobi and civilians. "And we each feel this loss, but we will not let this loss stop us from protecting our home, those that remain will continue to stand unbroken, because while we have lost many today, there are those who still live, and a new generation to guide and protect." I met the eyes of several of my clansmen as I spoke before landing on Sasuke-kun's tear filled ones. "And I promise this, and as your 40th clan leader, I swear, I will protect our home, our friends, and our family, so that such a tragedy will never befall us again while I breathe."

Having said my peace I stepped back to my position, retaking Naruto-kun's and Sasuke-kun's hands within my own and squeezing them for my own comfort as the coffins began to lower.

I kept my face stoic as the dirt was piled atop of my clansmen, not once breaking my eyes from the sight, and once the final amount of dirt was thrown and packed down, I turned to my clansmen, and nodded at them, allowing them to disperse and grieve in their own ways and knelt before my boys. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, I need you to go with auntie for now," I told them gently, getting nervous looks from the pair that I tried to reassure with a smile. "I have to go to a council meeting with Sarutobi-sama," I explained. "Once that is done I will be filling out the guardianship papers to have you placed in my care, okay, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke-kun nodded slowly in response before lunging forward and throwing his arms around my neck in a tight hug that I quickly returned. "It will hurt, but the pain will pass," I whispered to him. "Just remember, your parents wanted you to live a _happy_ life, okay?"

I could feel him nod against me before finally stepping back and wiping his eyes with his ams as best as he could. "I'll see you both back at home," I told them before reluctantly turning away and leaping off with Sarutobi-sama.

* * *

I took a calming breath as I stepped into the Council Room and took the Uchiha Clan's - _my_ \- seat and readied myself for the coming meeting. Next to me was Hiashi who nodded at me in acknowledgement as the final few members of the council filed in.

"I will be keeping this short today," Sarutobi-sama announced with a grim voice as he took his own seat and faced the shinobi clan heads, the _only_ ones called to this meeting, even his old teammates were noticeably missing alongside Danzo. "Itachi Uchiha was acting under orders when he attacked the Uchiha clan," Sarutobi-sama announced making my stomach clench. _Danzo_. "We found a missive with _my_ seal of approval detailing the 'mission' assigned, a mission that _I_ never approved."

He met each of our eyes and I could feel an anger bubbling within me as I shook a bit. "Make no mistake, Itachi Uchiha is to be treated as a S-ranked criminal when encountered, notifications to all bounty stations have been sent out along with the update to the bingo book," Sarutobi-sama told us severely. "Right now, while we have suspects, we have no proof on _who_ is responsible for this, so I do not want a single word about it escaping this chamber."

We all nodded in agreement, I could feel my eyes throbbing, wishing to be unleashed on the enemy as Sarutobi-sama met my gaze directly. "I know you are angry," he told me directly. "But blind rage will not help us now, your clan needs you, remember that."

Closing my eyes I took in a deep breath, calming my anger before nodding to the Hokage my understanding. "When you do find who forged the mission, I wish to be there when the ones responsible are brought to justice," I announced in a cold voice.

"You will be," the village leader assured me. "That is all I wanted to share with you, you are dismissed."

I remained in my seat a moment long as I cooled the growing rage within me. "You suspect Danzo, don't you?" I asked Sarutobi-sama once I was sure we were alone in the room.

"As much as I wish otherwise…" he admitted with a heavy sigh. "He was taking far too much stock in the rumours of the clan preparing a coup against Konoha."

"That's stupid," I snarled in response, looking away from the Hokage. "We had no wish for that! We were respected by the village! My brother was hailed as a _hero_! I was the Yondaime's _bodyguard_ for crying out loud!"

Sarutobi-sama nodded. "Before the Kyuubi attacked there was some rumbling of discontent among the Uchiha Clan, but those were silenced after that night," he told me with a small frown. "Please, do not do anything rash, an attack on Danzo without proof will not support your position and Danzo will only see it as proof he was right to have the clan killed."

Closing my eyes I nodded my understanding. "I won't do anything now," I assured him. "But you better warn him to keep those toy ROOT ANBU of his away from my clan."

Sarutobi-sama nodded in assurance. "I will ensure he does so," he told me. "Now, you wanted guardianship of Sasuke-kun, correct?"

I nodded and let out a breath as I prepared myself to work through a large amount of paperwork.

* * *

I let out a soft groan as I went through my third stack of paperwork that came to my desk that day, looking off to the side I sent a wistful look out the window of my office in the new residence of the Uchiha Clan, a large renovated apartment complex within Konoha proper.

It was decided by the clan in general to purchase the building that Sarutobi-sama provided for us when we realized that even with all of the survivors in the building, we still didn't fill it to capacity. While the Uchiha District was still in our control, we ended up renting out the majority of the buildings while keeping some of the more important ones empty for the time being.

I glanced at my reflection and triggered the full evolution of my sharingan and bore witness to a red four pointed shuriken emblazoned on top of the five petaled flower that was my Mangekyou Sharingan and smiled sadly at the picture of my brother before allowing the sharingan to fade as someone knocked on the door to my office.

"Enter," I called out to the other side of the door.

The door opened as one of the chunin survivors entered. "Yuriko-sama, we have something that requires your attention," he informed grimly, making my stomach twist a bit in response as I stood, grabbing my kodachi as I moved.

"What happened?" I questioned as he fell into step behind me.

"We have been getting word of strangers showing interest in the younger members," the chunin explained. "And now Saeko is missing, Naofumi and Otojiro's daughter, she awoke her sharingan _that_ night."

I let out a growl as I focused on the markers I placed on each of my clan members and located one that was in a remote area of Konohagakure and several levels underground. " _Danzo_ ," I murmured under my breath. "Have any of the children out right now return, also get Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun from the academy," I snapped out to the chunin. "Any shinobi are to be on guard, I will go speak with Sarutobi-sama."

"Right!" the chunin replied before going off to fulfill his orders as I leapt outside and took off towards the Hokage's Tower.

It didn't take me long to arrive there and the expression on my face must have been something fierce as the receptionist - a highly trained ANBU specialist - didn't even try to stop me from entered Sarutobi-sama's office. "He's taken one of my clan members," I announced in a cold voice to the room as Sarutobi-sama looked up from his paperwork, Homura-san spluttering as he coughed out some tea he was drinking as Koharu-san raised an eyebrow at my statement. "I am merely informing you to be polite, but this is going too far."

"How certain are you it was him?" Sarutobi-sama questioned, not disbelieving me, but wanting to make sure his bases were covered as he rubbed his forehead.

"Each one of my clan members is marked with a seal that lets me locate them within Konoha, and she is directly where a ROOT base is suspected of being," I explained with a deep frown on my face, tapping one of my feet on the floor in impatience. "And yes," I continued, stopping Koharu from speaking as she opened her mouth. "I am _certain_."

"Very well," Sarutobi-sama said as he stood up, signalling for an ANBU. "Get Rho Squad, I want them here yesterday."

I closed my eyes and inhaled before letting out a careful breath to calm myself, ever since _that_ night, it became easier for my anger to surface and take control of my actions. And while I had _every_ right to be angry at the moment, Danzo was a devious opponent, one that I couldn't face when blinded by anger.

Sarutobi-sama took off the white robe he was wearing, showing his battle armor underneath, proving for all that, even in times of peace, he was ready to defend his village at a moment's notice.

Not even a moment later a squad of eight ANBU members were in the room as Sarutobi-sama addressed us. "While I was hoping I would be wrong, Danzo Shimura has stepped beyond his bounds today," he announced to the squad, making them shuffle a bit. "He has abducted a member of the Uchiha clan when he has been told they are off limits. Today, ROOT is to be dismantled and Danzo is to be arrested, if he resists, kill him."

He turned to me and gestured for me to lead them, prompting me to leap out of the window with the Hokage and eight ANBU trailing after.

* * *

Perhaps I should have been subtle about my entrance into the ROOT base, but at that point, I was far beyond caring as I used [ **Earth Release: Tunnel Excavation** ] to open a path directly into the base before charging forward.

It was obvious that Danzo had been expecting a retaliation of some kind, from the amount of ROOT shinobi occupying the base, but he clearly wasn't expecting me with my [ **Susano'o** ] partially manifested with the support of the Sandaime Hokage and eight active ANBU members. I didn't even pause in my stride as I used my [ **Susano'o** ]'s kodachi to cut through the ROOT members that tried to stop me as I continued to make my way through the base to ensure the safety of my clan member.

I will admit, I was surprised when I encountered Danzo, standing alone, in a rather large chamber. "You're actually here?" I questioned, a grin working its way onto my face as I stood across from him, the fighting behind me making it clear that ROOT was trying to keep the rest of the attacking party away. "Well, thank you for making it easy to find and kill you."

"I would be curious to know how you found this location," Danzo retorted as he glared at me with his uncovered eye. "But, it is of no matter, you won't be living past this, and I will put your eyes to use for Konoha."

I snarled at him angrily, light blue chakra waving around me wildly before I calmed myself. "That's the thing you never saw though," I snapped at him as I drew out my own kodachi. "I _do_ serve Konoha loyally."

"You Uchiha serve no one but yourselves," Danzo shot back, making me growl.

"Enough, I will give you one chance to surrender, for Sarutobi-sama's sake," I told him in a carefully controlled voice. "Take it if you want to live."

Danzo's response was to fire off a blast of wind at me that I blocked with a skeletal arm of my [ **Susano'o** ]. "Very well then."

* * *

 **Mandatory Quest Alert!**

 **Kill Danzo and retrieve Saeko Uchiha from his base!**

 **REWARD  
Disbanding of ROOT**

* * *

 **Danzo Shimura - Level 65  
HP:** 8,000  
 **CP** : 10,000

Oh, this was going to be _fun_ for me.

I cracked off the ground as I circled to his side with [ **Inaba Flicker** ] slashed at Danzo's neck to try and end it quickly only for the man to block my strike with his cane. I continued my movement and spun myself around to kick him with my heeled foot, forcing him to dodge out of the way, a deep frown on his face as he reached up and ripped the bandages from his head to show the sharingan resting there. "I'm going to guess that's Shisui's eye," I commented as it shifted into its Mangekyou form and I felt a slight tugging in the back of my mind before dismissing it.

I charged him again refusing to allow him to escape as I activated [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ]. "[ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel - Single Slash** ]!" I announced as I made a horizontal strike at him as the blade extended a good five feet, forcing him to duck down to avoid it before my foot made contact with his face.

"Why isn't it working?" he snarled as I felt a tugging at the back of my mind again. "Why aren't you standing down!?"

I blinked, oh… that's what the tugging was, he was trying to use **Kotoamatsukami** on me to bring me under his sway. I began to chuckle as I realized what was happening, a chuckle that was becoming a full blown laugh. "Because, my eyes aren't normal Mangekyou," I told him as I began walking towards him. "They are the _Eternal_ Mangekyou Sharingan, the same eyes that Madara achieved before Konohagakure was formed, the proof of my brother's love for me. A single, _implanted_ , Mangekyou can't overcome _my_ eyes!"

Danzo snarled as a sword of wind came up to life in his grasp as he blocked my sword. "I _knew_ you were too power hungry to be trusted," he growled as I broke away and began attacking him from different angles, forcing him to expend more chakra to keep his sharingan uncovered. "You're planning on usurping the Hokage's position yourself!"

I snorted in laughter as I managed to land a blow on his right arm, causing it to slump limply in its sling as I severed the muscles. "Please, I already have my hands full enough with running what's left of my clan," I told him as I dodged a wind blade and leapt back a few paces. "Plus, I don't think I would make a good Hokage, all said and done. Besides, Naruto-kun said he wanted to take the hat from Sarutobi-sama when he was strong enough, so what kind of sister would I be if I stood in the way of that?"

"The weapon?" Danzo snarled as he shot out blasts of air that I simply moved out of the way of. "Foolishness, look at what Yagura is doing in Mizu no Kuni! Weapons are best left as that, they're not human."

Welp… there goes _my_ self-control!

"What was that, Shimura?" I growled as my Mangekyou throbbed in response to my anger. "Did you just suggest that my little brother isn't human?"

I didn't let him respond as I spat out a sealless [ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ] that I _may_ have pumped a bit too much chakra into considering that the entire room was suddenly awashed in fire, cool fact, stone _can_ burn when it's heated enough.

"I honestly just thought you were overzealous," I admitted as I strode through my own flames, protected by my [ **Susano'o** ]. "But, I was wrong, you're simply just an idiot, and at least if I _was_ made Hokage, I would be better at it than you."

I heard Danzo roar in anger as a large plume of smoke heralded the arrival of his summoned Baku who snorted the flames away. I rose my eyebrow in response, he couldn't really think _that_ would be enough to defeat me, did he?

Apparently he did as the elephant creature began trying to suck me into it's mouth as I remained rooted in place with generous application of chakra to my feet. "Y'know, you just set me up perfectly," I commented as I activated [ **Kamiyonanayo** ], not even bothering with [ **Ame-no Ukihashi** ] with the Baku trying to suck everything in, the seven folded [ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ] being sucked in the Baku's mouth before is was forcibly dismissed by the most likely painful internal burns it was suffering.

"Care to try again for a Ryo?" I taunted the now enraged Danzo who was seemingly trying to use [ **Amaterasu** ] with how hard he was glaring at me. "Seriously, this is just sad, I grew up hearing how you were the equal to Sarutobi-sama, now… all I see before me is a pathetic old man who doesn't realize, or _refuses_ to realize, that his way was never going to work."

I shook my head as more of my [ **Susano'o** ] manifested, changing into its cloaked form. "Tobirama Senju-sama would be disappointed with you," I announced coldly, cutting off his reply as he was suddenly stabbed by **Amenonuhoko.** "But rest easy, I will continue to protect Konohagakure and its people as I always have."

My eyes widened as his bloody body faded from sight before he appeared behind me with a wind blade in hand. "No! I must be the one to protect Konoha and ensure its place above everyone!" he shouted in rage, the sword nearing before it was suddenly stopped by a mass of earthen spears rising up from the ground and riddling Danzo's body.

"And if we of Konoha have no desire to be rulers?" I asked him as I took the [ **Susano'o** ] further, allowing the cloak to fade to reveal a fully feminine figure with sweeping wings and a Tengu like face as it loomed over him. "[ **Susano'o - Complete Manifestation** ]," I told him as his one eye looked up in shock as the figure dominated the room, Shisui's eye fading into a milky white as [ **Izanagi** ] extracted its toll. "Goodbye, Danzo Shimura, _traitor_ of Konohagakure."

His scream was silenced by **Amenonuhoko** as it cleaved his head from his body before I let out a sigh and allowed the manifestation to be dismissed.

I didn't even pay the body a second glance as I turned on my heel and began making my way towards my captured clan member.

The rest of the mission went off without a hitch, especially once Danzo was killed and any seals he placed on his members were rendered void, thankfully it was decided many of the younger ones could simply be brought into the Academy for retraining while many of the older ones were taken away by the ANBU.

I wasn't really sure what for, but I found myself not really caring as I brought Saeko-chan home to her parents who were beside themselves with relief and was greeted by the ever cheerful Naruto-kun and relieved Sasuke-kun as I entered our home.

For them, the clan, and the village, I will cut down _anyone_ who comes after them.

After all, what else could a kunoichi big sister do for her younger brothers?

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

* * *

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 68  
 **EXP** : 1,015/34,0000 **  
Age:** 17 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS  
HP - **7,200 **  
CP -** 33,900  
 **STR -** 80 (131) **  
INT -** 130 (195) **  
DEX -** 150 (262) **  
VIT -** 80 (131) **  
WIS -** 125 (210) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 25,542,153

 **New Skills!**

[ **Inaba Flicker** ] (Active) [ **Level 43 - 0.23%** ] - A combination of both the [ **Inaba Rabbit** ] and [ **Body Flicker** ] jutsus to create a ultra-speed movement. +543% to base movement speed, small chance of tearing leg muscles when active, 10 CP/Second

[ **Susano'o - Complete Manifestation** ] ( **Active** ) [ **Level MAX** ] - The true form of the [ **Susano'o** ] jutsu, a massive chakra construct in the shape of a Tengu Warrior with the user remaining within the chest region of the construct, the wing allow for flight when the construct is manifested.

[ **Earth Release: Tunnel Excavation** ] ( **Active** ) [ **Level 23 - 92.09%** ] - A jutsu that allows for the quick creation of tunnels for various needs,the larger the tunnel is, and the composition of the earth affects the amount of chakra required for use.


	15. Interlude - Onoki

If one were to ask the Sandaime Tsuchikage if he had ever made any mistakes in public, one would quickly find themselves of a scathing verbal response before being told to fuck off. But if you were to ask in private - and were a friend - he would comment that one of his more prolific mistakes would be the handling of the ceasefire with Konoha at the end of the third war.

He would admit that he had let his emotions get the better of him when he issued threats to the young Uchiha girl that had been brought along by the Sandaime Hokage and the Murderer. He would even admit that he found her response to be humorous once he managed to cool down and never even planned to send assassins her way - not that he would shed a tear if she were to die.

Of course he had his spies keep an eye on her since then, it was quite obvious that the old monkey was grooming her for _something_ if he had brought her along for the treaty signing. Things became a bit clearer when she was found to be one of the Murderer's personal bodyguards and was attached to his side almost constantly.

It was around that time that he got his first missive from her.

 _To the Sandaime Tsuchikage_

 _While I am not completely sure if you had sent those assassins for me or if they were simply after my bounty - they were rather rude with their response when I asked them for clarification - I decided to err on the side of caution and have these sent to you as promised._

 _If these are not from one of yours, then I do apologize for the mistake._

 _Yours truly_

 _Yuriko Uchiha_

With the letter had come a small package that contained a set of bronzed ballsacks - and one set of ovaries - set within a professionally done glass case.

He was so surprised by it that he couldn't hold back the guffaws of laughter from the sheer _audacity_ of the girl to actually follow through on it. Granted, he _didn't_ send any assassins after her or anyone else in Konoha, and a quick investigation told him that it was a group of chunin who had been on 'leave' for the last week.

He actually had the small display put up across from his desk because it did bring a chuckle from him every time he looked at it, and, to be polite, he even wrote a letter to her thanking her for dealing with a bunch of idiots and sent her a bounty pay for about a C-ranked missing nin.

The reply letter held a very nice thank you. Politeness, so rare these days amongst the younger generation.

The nest missive he had received was a singular set of bronzed balls of another - unsanctioned - assassin whom she had encountered while on a mission, with another polite letter explaining the circumstances.

After placing the new set with the old he wrote her a polite reply back thanking her for dealing with _another_ idiot.

Thus, he was rather surprised when the next time he got a letter from her, he found out that a rather… suicidal idiot had decided to try and take her charge hostage. A blonde child he was seventy five percent sure was the Murderer's son - not that he was going to do anything about it, it was war, of _course_ he was going to use that damn teleporting jutsu if he had the opportunity, Onoki would've done the same in return given half the chance.

Either way, he sent an apology to her for the actions of his former shinobi, and offered his condolences for the loss of the Yondaime and his wife - he may not have liked the man, but he could _respect_ him - before wishing her luck with raising her charge. He placed the rather… gruesome result of what she did to the man's sexual organ on display to serve as a warning for people who fucked with him.

The reply letter had been grateful and included a baby's handprint, most likely her charge's.

A few years later his odd pen pal sent him a scroll containing the body of one of his missing nin with a letter praising the man for his skill, strength and politeness along its a request to bury the man in his homeland. Of course the body showed signs of investigation for any secrets it could provide, not completely unexpected considering that _every_ nation did the same with any foreign missing nin they caught, but he still acquiesced with her polite request and buried the man next to his family in an unmarked grave.

He very nearly blew a gasket when he learned of the Yondaime Raikage's downright _stupid_ attempt to acquire the Byakugan by kidnaping the _clan heiress_ while they were in Konohagakure as guest _to sign a treaty of peace_ with said village. He had sent a missive to the brash musclebound idiot stating in no uncertain terms, that if it came to war, he would be tempted to side with Konoha in this one.

When he heard about the massacre of her clan from one of their own and her subsequent promotion to Clan Head, he felt it necessary to send her a letter congratulating her on her promotion and his sympathies for the death of her clan, the reply she had sent was a rather brief one, but still polite as always as she thanked him for his kind words.

And that brought him to today, considering something rather… surprising even for himself, a peace treaty with Konoha. The communication he shared with the new Uchiha Clan head had given him the idea, and he was only somewhat reluctant to admit it was a good one as while they do have a bloody past with one another, one could always count on Konoha to uphold its deals and treaty and kept its word.

Kumo had lost his respect after their attempt to subvert the signing of a peace treaty. Yes, they were shinobi, but one could hardly get work if the client was always expecting to be backstabbed by the one they hired. Kirigakure made him nervous, especially since their Yondaime began his genocidal campaign. He always felt that Sunagakure was weak, especially for one of the 'Five Great Nations' so that left them out for a treaty in his opinion.

So, that left the tree huggers who placed an emphasis on quality and teamwork over quantity, plus they had been at each other's throats for generations now, and if they could actually set aside their differences… then who knows what they could accomplish?

So, while there were some voices of discontentment at his proposal and reasoning for it, his council of advisors - each one selected carefully for their loyalty while making sure they weren't simple 'Yes Men' to curry favour - agreed with his assessment and he began drafting a diplomatic missive to be sent to the old monkey.


	16. Chapter 14: Changes to Canon

I smiled at one of the Instructor Chunin of the academy as I was led through the hallways of said academy, making my way to my little brothers' classroom, thankfully not for Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun getting caught red-handed in _**another**_ prank. Seriously, I thought I taught them better than that, getting caught while setting up, rookie mistake. I let out a small chuckle as I walked through the hallways with an ease that came from knowing Danzo was dead and buried for a month now and won't be returning any time soon.

"So, with the advent of iryojutsu, many of our battlefield practices have changed due to being able to care for the most critically wounded individuals right there on the battlefield," Iruka-san lectured as I approached the classroom I was aiming for. "Thankfully, someone far more knowledgeable agreed to come in and speak about it with you all."

Taking that as my cue to enter I slid open the door to the classroom.

"Nee-chan!" Two voices called out in stereo as I stepped in, making me smile towards where my two little brothers were sitting near the back alongside Hinata-chan.

"Hello, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun," I greeted them cheerfully, waving to them as the other students stared at her. "And hello to you, Iruka-san."

"Thank you for coming, Yuriko-sama," Iruka replied respectfully, bowing his head to her. "I'm sure many of you know Yuriko-sama here as the current Clan Head of the Uchiha clan, but she is also a very well noted Iryonin, said by many to be the equal of Tsunade-sama."

"Well, I don't know about that," I replied modestly, smiling at him, even as I felt a stab of irritation inside of me. The one thing that I had grown to hate was being compared to Tsunade, do not get me wrong, I respect her ability, it's her attitude that pisses me off, yes, it's tragic that her brother and lover died, but she's not the only one who lost loved ones in war, and yet she was allowed to run off without recompense?

And that was without saying anything about her kami-damned 'rules' of being an Iryonin, not allowed to fight unless we've mastered one of _her_ techniques? Fuck. _That_. I was _not_ going to stand back and watch as my friends were attacked and do nothing. I am a kami-damned kunoichi _before_ I am an Iryonin.

Shoving those thoughts out of my head I focused back on the class before me. "Iryonin have been around for a while, but it was only in the last few generations that their role began to change to allow for more front line support rather than the rear support we used to provide," I explained to the class. "Specifically two jutsu, the [ **Mystical Palm** ]," my right hand lit up with green chakra. "And the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ]." My left hand developed a sharp looking blue aura. "The [ **Mystical Palm** ] allowed for us to heal our allies on the field rather than needing to bring them back to an operation room, the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] on the other hand was essentially an Iryonin's multi tool, it allow for us to operate without the need for tools, and gave us a weapon to use in combat."

"Yeah! Nee-chan you're famous for it!" Naruto-kun called out happily, getting a chuckle from me in response as I allowed the two jutsus to disperse.

"That is true, I am called the Sword-Scalpel of Konoha for that reason," I commented in amusement. "Mostly because I combined the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] with [ **Chakra Flow** ] to allow my kodachi to bear the properties of the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ]."

"What's [ **Chakra Flow** ]?" one of the children near the back questioned, prompting me to blink in surprise and turn to Iruka.

"You haven't taught them about it yet?" I asked Iruka-san, recalling my own lessons in it during my time in the academy.

"Ah… it was dropped out of the curriculum after the war," Iruka-san explained with a weak chuckle, prompting a slow blink from me in response. "Many of the civilian children were having difficulty with it, so it was removed to allow for more graduates?"

"Why would they have difficulty with it? So long as they completed the Tree Walking exercise they shouldn't have an issue with it," I pointed out. "That was one of the first things I remember I remember learning in the Academy."

Iruka-san winced in response. "It was decided to be too dangerous for children to be learning that in the Academy so it was removed as well," he replied, wincing again as I fixed him with a deadpanned look.

"What?" I asked bluntly. "Seriously, why? Too dangerous? We throw sharp objects every day, how could learning to Tree Walk be more dangerous than learning the best ways to eliminate a sentry?"

Iruka-san let out a weak cough as something twisted inside of me and I groaned. "You _are_ teaching them the vital points on a body, right?" I asked him pleadingly. "I know my education was rushed, but that _is_ still on the curriculum, right?"

"Ah… well… some of the civilian parents were complaining and…" Iruka-san started only to cut himself off as my eyes hardened.

"Sorry, going to have to cut this short," I replied as I moved to the door. "I have to speak with Hokage-sama about this."

"A-ah… right," Iruka-san stammered out, looking like he was wondering if he made a big mistake.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, I will be wanting to see your notes later," I announced as I left the room, a fuming expression on my face as I began to make my way towards the Hokage's Tower to have a word with Sarutobi-sama.

* * *

I had to wait a bit for Sarutobi-sama to finish a meeting he was in before I could enter to see him, the venerable leader smiling as I entered. "Yuriko-chan, how can I help you today?" he asked me warmly.

"Do you know what they're doing at the Academy?" I asked him as I stood before him. "They've _gutted_ the program to make it more 'kid friendly'!"

"What are you talking about?" Sarutobi-sama questioned. "I remember some revisions being made to the curriculum to save some money, but nothing like what you're saying."

"They removed the Tree Walking exercise, training in [ **Chakra Flow** ], they even removed teaching the students the critical parts on the human body," I ranted as I began to pace. "Who knows what _else_ they removed, what if they removed the blooding program that got us used to killing?"

Sarutobi-sama frowned as he listened to me rant and gestured for an ANBU to attend to him. "Investigate this," he instructed the purple haired, cat masked ANBU. "Report to me as soon as you learn anything important."

I let out a sigh of relief as the ANBU nodded and leapt off to follow his orders. "Thank you for listening to me, Sarutobi-sama," I said gratefully as I sagged a bit. "Maybe I'm being a bit paranoid, but…"

"Those children are the next generation," Sarutobi-sama nodded in agreement. "And if someone is trying to sabotage them, then it's better to be paranoid than watching as they die from lack of knowledge."

"It's not the clan kids that I'm worried about," I admitted with a sigh as I slumped into a chair across from my leader. "Heck, I've _already_ started Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun on the Tree Climbing, it's the civilian or orphaned kids that I'm worried about, they make up half of our standing forces, and if _they're_ crippled…" I trailed off with a grim look as Sarutobi-sama nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, if there is someone sabotaging the academy, then it does raise several uncomfortable questions," he nodded in agreement.

"Could it… could it be Orochimaru?" I questioned, shuddering as I remembered assisting in clearing out one of his 'labs' after Minato-sama came into power and the Snake Sannin became much less… _subtle_ about his experiments.

Sarutobi-sama seemed to age at my suggestion as he sagged before me. "A possibility far too likely, I am afraid," he nodded in agreement. "And I doubt he would hesitate to sell the information at this point."

I nodded in agreement as I rubbed my eyes. "How much were we able to pull from Danzo's bases?" I asked. "Could he have had a connection to this?"

"That is unlikely," Sarutobi-sama informed with a sigh. "Maybe with a few select individuals in order to draw them to him for training, but not with the Academy itself, in the end, he _did_ want a strong Konoha."

I grimaced but nodded in acceptance. "And how are things going on the Kumo front?" I asked him, Kumogakure had been stubborn about the fact that their head ninja had attempted the kidnapping of Hinata-chan, trying to deny the fact, right up until Sarutobi-sama said that if that was the case, then they would simply informed the rest of the nations that Kumogakure attempted a kidnapping _while_ they were signing a peace treaty.

That caused them to back down quickly when Sarutobi-sama refused to back down under the threat of war, the elder Hokage simply stating that if they declared war, he would teach every single person able to within Konoha, the Hiraishin.

Amazing how Minato-sama was still a threat even after death.

"We're _finally_ signing the treaty," he announced with a relieved sigh. "Their Yondaime is a stubborn fool of a man with more muscle than brains. Thankfully he saw reason before trying to restart the war, Kumo was hurt just as badly as we were, and we _know_ it."

I nodded in agreement, a small smirk of satisfaction on my face. "Good to know," I said with a chuckle. "Were we able to get what we wanted out of them?"

"Only partially," Sarutobi-sama said with a sigh. "I wasn't counting on their secrets for training Jinchuriki, but we did get a few things from them on it, it will be helpful for when Naruto-kun starts his own training in it."

I nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief as I relaxed into the chair. "Good," I vocalized in agreement. "It'll give us a starting point to go with."

"How is his training going?" he asked me with a small smile.

"Well, overall I'd say he's a ninjutsu specialist in the making," I admitted with a shrug. "He has a _lot_ of chakra, and it's hard for him to control it all in the minute chakra control exercises, hence why I started him on the tree walking exercise."

Sarutobi-sama nodded in agreement as we fell into a light conversation, simply enjoying the peace while it lasted.

* * *

Turns out, there _was_ sabotage afoot at the academy, the Academy director had been getting a payoff from one of the civilian council members who was getting a payoff from someone outside of Konoha that ANBU was still tracking down. Needless to say, the two were dealt with swiftly, and publicly, Sarutobi-sama reminding _everyone_ that this was a _shinobi_ village, and as such _we_ made the rules on how the village operates.

The Academy had been shut down for two weeks as it was restructured back to what it _should_ be, overruling many of the civilian parents about how 'dangerous' it was.

I snorted at the memory at how one of them actually came to _me_ complaining how dangerous it is for children to be learning such things, I completely turned it around on her by asking her if she would rather have her child killed in the line of duty because we were trying to keep their 'innocence' instead of training them to be actual shinobi.

On the downside to the entire thing, I was actually drafted by Sarutobi-sama to be the new instructor of the 'kunoichi classes', which _had_ been nothing but flower arrangement and applying makeup, with _nothing_ said on seducing targets. Urgh.

"Alright class, listen up, I don't like repeating myself more than absolutely necessary," I announced with a heavy sigh as I entered the classroom, wondering just _how_ Sarutobi-sama talked me into doing this… oh right, he didn't, he ordered it. "I am your new instructor in the kunoichi arts, seduction, poisoning, information gathering, all of these you will learn in this class. You _will_ refer to me as sensei, and if you don't like any of the rules I set down, you are free to leave and fail this class."

I looked around at the assorted perspective kunoichi with a firm look, looks like I got Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun's class as my responsibility. "Make no mistake, this is not to teach you how to catch yourself a husband," I continued beginning to pace before them. "I will be teaching you how to make best use of your feminine charms for the benefit of Konohagakure, I don't mind you getting practice in, but if I see you using what I teach you to try and catch the eye of your crush, I _will_ fail you and have you dropped out of the shinobi program. No ifs, no ands, no buts. Understood?"

"Yes sensei!" the girls chorused with wide eyes as they rapidly nodded in agreement.

"Good, now, everyone outside, your first lesson will be how to defend yourself, I will _not_ teach weaklings who wait for _prince charming_ to rescue them," I announced as I began to head to the door. "Either you pull your weight, or you get left behind, your choice in the end."

I will make _damn_ sure that any student that passes _my_ course won't be dead weight on their team.

* * *

I frowned as I looked down at the two girls who were caught in a trap, both of them were civilian born students in my classes that were caught trespassing on Uchiha property, specifically, trying to gain access to Sasuke-kun's room.

The two girls looked up at me in fear as I loomed over them, tapping my foot, waiting to hear what they had to say.

After several more seconds of silence I decided to speak. "Trespassing on Clan property is a serious crime," I growled in a low voice at the pair. "Especially into the rooms housing the younger members of the clan and academy students."

The two whimpered fearfully in response. "I doubt you two are infiltrators or traitors, just _painfully_ stupid," I sighed as a pair of ANBU appeared. "These are the intruders," I told them, causing the ANBU to look down at the girls before looking up at me as I shrugged. "Just get them out of here, and tell their parents not to bother bringing them to the Academy in the morning, I'll be informing the Hokage that they're both being booted."

The ANBU nodded in understanding as the girls began to protest before they were flickered off by the ANBU. Seriously, did they _not_ take my warning _seriously_ last year when I first started teaching them? Or did they really think they'd get special treatment because their parents were high level merchants?

Shaking my head I turned back and headed back into my office, goddamn brats broke my stride when I was working on my clan paperwork, damn pile seemed bigger than when I first left!

* * *

I stared at my leader in a deadpanned expression. "I'm sorry, but what?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Sarutobi-sama nodded in confirmation as he looked down at the scroll that brought surprise to both himself and I. "Onoki wishes to create diplomatic ties with Konohagakure," he reiterated. "I was rather surprised by it as well, never thought I would see the day."

I was stunned for several reasons, one, there was little love between Iwagakure and Konohagakure, because we had been at each other's throats for three wars now, second… this had _never_ happened in canon until the alliance of _all five_ villages.

By the Kami… how much have I changed?

"Are… how are you going to respond?" I asked him, doing my best to shake off my shock.

"I will be meeting with him," Sarutobi-sama confirmed with a nod. "We will each be bringing two guards and meeting in Tetsu no Kuni who agreed to host the peace talks, Jiraiya will be one guard I will be bringing, I want you to be the second."

"Of course, Sarutobi-sama," I replied instantly, my training taking over to confirm it, garnering a nod from the elderly leader.

"Good, we will be leaving next week, so get any affairs you have in order," he commanded before relaxing from his 'leader mode'. "I hear your mother had set you up on a blind date again…"

I grimaced in response to his probing. "He was more interested in staring at my chest than anything else," I groused, folding my arms over my sizable chest, it was nowhere near Tsunade's level, but definitely eye catching. "I just wish she would stop setting me up with random people she meets in the market."

Sarutobi-sama chuckled in amusement at my frustration, it wasn't that they were _all_ bad, it was just that most of them were either interested in my position as Clan Head - and how they could take advantage of it - or they were interested in my physical appearance. There had been some good ones, but they were more interested in one night stands than a relationship.

She had surprised herself by actually agreeing with a couple of them and enjoying the night, thankfully they understood the perils of trying to spread rumours of an Iryonin being 'easy' and didn't brag about it. Shinobi like their one night stands to be discreet, if you can't, then you'll find yourself alone as a pissed off Kunoichi comes after you.

"She _does_ seem quite eage for grandchildren," he commented wryly, making my cheeks heat up in response.

I groaned as I buried my face in my hands. "Don't remind me," I pleaded. "Thankfully she agreed on lightening up on civilians, but now she talking to other mothers amongst the clans… Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun aren't much help either as they seem to like the idea of being 'uncles' for any kids that I _do_ have."

Sarutobi-sama didn't help me much as he began to laugh at my plight. "Well, at least they're supportive to your relationships," he teased me, garnering a glare from me as I began to contemplate using my sharingan on him.

"You're not helping, Sarutobi-sama," I groused at him grumpily before standing up. "Unfortunately, if I am to be accompanying you to the peace talks, I have a small mountain of paperwork to get through so everything is set up while we're away."

My leader smiled at me and nodded, allowing me to leave as I headed back for the clan building.

* * *

My second visit to the capital of Tetsu no Kuni was just as awe inspiring as my first, although I was much more in control as I walked in alongside Sarutobi-sama and Jiraiya-sama.

The snow-covered buildings with samurai walking the streets, keeping the peace among their civilians. The ringing of metal as craftsmen plied their trade at forging swords, armor and other odds and ends. The mindless chatter of civilians and Samurai all blending together.

It all came together in a rather pleasing way that relaxed me as I looked it over, Jiraiya-sama chuckling from next to me. "Enjoying the sights, Yuriko-chan?" he questioned, grinning as my head rotated.

"Yes, actually," I replied, smirking at him in return. "It's rather peaceful here all things considered."

The Sannin chuckled as he nodded in agreement, clapping me on my shoulder. "Considering no one messes with the Samurai here, it's not a surprise it seems to peaceful," he said approvingly as he looked around himself. "Anyways, been meaning to ask, how's your fuuinjutsu going?"

I shrugged in response. "Slower ever since I was made the Clan Head," I admitted with a sigh. "With how time intensive fuuinjutsu training is, I haven't had much time to dedicate to it. Stupid paperwork..."

Jiraiya-sama laughed as I grumbled about the ever increasing piles of paper my clan dumped on me. "Perils of being in charge, eh?" he teased me, getting a sour look from me in return.

"You're lucky you just roam around perving on women, Jiraiya-sama," I groused at him, folding my arms under the winter cloak I wore.

The toad sage laughed louder at my words. "And that's why I do that, to escape paperwork!" he confided cheerfully, prompting me to kick his rear in spite, sending him toppling into a pile of snow.

"And _that's_ why you don't taunt a lady," I told him with a haughty sniff, making Sarutobi-sama and our escort chuckle as Jiraiya-sama pulled himself out of the snow and shook himself off in good humour.

The hotel we were staying at was, surprisingly, the same one we stayed at my first time here, actually, it was the exact same room oddly enough.

"So what was Onoki aiming for with this treaty?" Jiraiya-sama questioned as we sat down for dinner.

"It boils down to two things, a military alliance, and a trade agreement," Sarutobi-sama informed as we turned our attention to him. "Which in essence would be supporting one another should war break out again, opening our borders with one another to allow for merchants to trade our good directly with one another instead of intermediaries."

"That's… a pretty big step from basically being engaged in a cold war with each other," I said with a frown, leaning back in my chair as I folded my arms over my chest. "Did he give any reason _why_ he wants to ally with _us_ of all people? Don't they normally work with Kumogakure or Kirigakure?"

"Typically, but we've been hearing some… distressing rumours from out of Kiri," Jiraiya-sama explained with a wince. "A lot of kekkai genkai users in Mizu no Kuni have been vanishing without explanation and there's rumors of a civil war escaping here and there."

"As for Kumo, Onoki is many things, but he believes if you are a guest in another village for a peace treaty, then you need to treat it as such," Sarutobi-sama clarified. "The Yondaime Raikage's attempt at kidnapping Hinata-chan would have broken any respect Onoki had for him."

I nodded in understanding to both of their points, but… "Still, why _us_?" I prompted in confusion. "We've been at each other's throats for generations now."

"And to Onoki that means it's even _more_ reasonable to do so," Sarutobi-sama pointed out. "We know how each other operate as well as our own troops by this point, and with our borders fairly close to one another, some with only some minor countries between us at some points, it makes sense from a geographical position for the alliance."

Letting out a breath I took in the information as Jiraiya-sama spoke up. "This also could have an added benefit," he spoke up looking at the two of us seriously. "While their methods aren't as good as Kumogakure's, their Jinchuriki are… _somewhat_ stable, and if we do things right, we may be able to swing their assistance in helping Naruto train with the Kyuubi's chakra."

"Ah… the Yonbi and Gobi, correct?" I questioned, getting a nod from Jiraiya-sama in confirmation.

"I've actually had some contact with the Yonbi Jinchuriki, Roshi," Jiraiya-sama said getting shocked looks from the two of us. "Met him after the Second War when I was doing some information gathering near Iwa at a bar, not saying we're friends, but we can hold a conversation without it breaking down into a brawl."

"Better than nothing I guess," I said with a sigh, there _was_ another option for helping Naruto-kun with the Kyuubi, my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. It could forcibly submit him to my, and by extension Naruto-kun's, will. But… I didn't want to rely on it, after all, Naruto-kun was able to befriend the Bijuu in canon, she was certain he could do so again given some time.

"Mm, I would suggest you both get some rest tonight," Sarutobi-sama suggested with a small smile. "These talks will likely take some time, so be ready to do a lot of standing around tomorrow."

"Should've brought my paperwork with me then," I said jokingly as I cleaned up my plate. "Then maybe I could have gotten something productive done tomorrow."

The two older shinobi laughed in amusement at my joke as I stood up and placed my dishes in the kitchen suite. "I'll see you in the morning, Yuriko-chan," Sarutobi-sama said with a smile as nodded to me.

"Yup!" I confirmed, waving over my shoulder before vanishing into my assigned room.

* * *

I suppressed a yawn of boredom as I stood outside of the room where Sarutobi-sama was negotiating with Onoki-san about the terms of the treaty, the Tsuchikage's son and Jiraiya-sama were inside with them and the negotiator, leaving me on guard outside of the room with an older red haired man with a beard.

"Roshi-san, isn't it?" I asked for confirmation, looking over to the older shinobi who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

"Mm?" the jinchuriki blinked in surprise at being addressed before turning to me. "Ah, yeah, I am, you're that Bloody Scalpel, aren't you? Yuriko was it?"

I smiled at him politely as I nodded. "A pleasure to meet you," I replied. "Although I must admit, I prefer the Sword-Scalpel, even if my other title makes people fear me."

Roshi-san snorted in amusement, relaxing a bit. "Ah, it is a rather… gruesome title isn't it?" he agreed, grinning a bit. "How'd you get into Iryojutsu? Not a very common profession, heard the control requirements are quite strict."

"They are," I admitted with a wince. "But I initially started because of my mother, she taught me some basic Iryojutsu and it just kinda took off from there. How about yourself?"

He shrugged. "Heavy Assault mostly," he commented, tapping his stomach where his seal for the Yonbi was. "Not much else Jinchuriki like myself can do with the amount of chakra we have, got some pretty powerful Lava jutsus out of it though."

I smiled at him. "Lava is pretty cool," I admitted, getting a chuckle from him. "What is it like… having a Bijuu inside of you?"

The man hummed in response, considering how to answer it. "Well, for me I guess it's 'normal' considering the shit flinger has always been there," he said with a sigh. "But… well… it's like always having a second voice inside of you, one that thinks and acts differently from you, even if you do end up agreeing on some things."

"Must be nice," he raised a confused eyebrow at me with a flummoxed expression, making me smile in response. "You're never alone, doesn't matter where you are, you've got someone to talk to."

That made the jinchuuriki pause as he considered my words, the shifting emotions on his face telling me he was having a mental conversation with Son Goku. I blinked as a surge of pity rose up within me, the Bijuu had been trapped within humans or containers because of the fact that humanity in general feared them and their power.

Made me wonder, how much would this world have changed… if someone had actually sat down and _talked_ with some of the Bijuu instead of sealing them, _has_ somebody even done that before?

"Well, you've got the shit flinger's attention," Roshi announced with a sigh, breaking me out of my mental line of thought. "Heh, hell, I had never even thought about it like that before too be honest with you… it's always just been, he's there, and the reason I'm treated as a weapon at the best of times by my fellow shinobi."

I winced in sympathy with the man. "That's foolish," I commented, shaking my head. "You're still a human being, even if you have a giant chakra beast in you."

Roshi looked me over with a contemplative looked before smiling. "Yeah, thanks for that," he said gratefully. "Listen… you Uchiha, you have ways to enter into a Bijuu's seal? At least that's what the shit flinger is telling me, he wants to talk to you."

I blinked in surprise before swallowing. "Yes, we do," I affirmed with a nod. "May I ask _why_ he wants to meet with me?"

Roshi shrugged. "Something about you being rather tolerable for an Uchiha," he grunted out, rolling his eyes. "Honestly? It's the first time he's took an interest in someone other than other Jinchuuriki."

"I… see," I replied before swallowing, I knew exactly what technique he was talking about, it wasn't actually a technique for entering a seal, it was more for entering the target's 'mindscape' more than anything, letting out a small sigh I activated the initial stage of my sharingan before meeting Roshi's eyes, while I remained standing, it felt like the world fell away.

* * *

Taking in a breath I looked around to find myself in what seemed like a mountainous region, before my breath caught in my throat.

Anime never really gives you an appreciation for size. Especially when it comes to the monstrous size of the Bijuu.

" **Uchiha,** " the massive four tailed monkey before me greeted in a deep booming voice. " **I am the Son of the Sage of Six Paths and the Great Sage that Equals the Heavens… Son Goku, and I must admit… I have never seen an Uchiha like yourself before…** "

I swallowed tightly in response as I felt my neck strain from looking _up_ at him. Mother of the Kami's he was _huge_. "A pleasure to meet you, Son Goku-san," I replied after I managed to regain control of my voice. "May I ask why you wished to meet me?"

The Yonbi blinked in surprise before grinning. " **Finally, someone who uses my name and not some sort of stupid name that's about my tails,** " he grumbled, looking at me speculatively. " **You could learn some manners from her, Roshi.** "

I blinked as I realized that Roshi-san was standing next to me, cleaning his ear with his pinky. "Someone needs to keep you humble… shit flinger," he grinned at the beast as I nearly balked, by the kami did this guy _not_ know what fear was?

Son-san growled a bit in response to Roshi-san's taunt before turning to me. " **I wanted to meet you, Yuriko-san, because I was curious,** " he said, answering my earlier question. " **You are the first Uchiha that I have come across that does not reek of hatred and anger.** "

Huh, so he ran into other Uchiha before? Wonder if that was canon? "Well… I feel that hatred is just a waste of energy to keep a hold of," I admitted looking up at the Bijuu. "It's not that I don't feel hatred or anger, but… I don't let them dominate my actions… _most_ of the time. I am only human after all."

Son Goku-san began laughing in response to my explanation, it honestly felt like the ground was shaking under me as he laughed. " **I** _ **like**_ **you, Yuriko-san,** " he informed me, smiling. " **And even if he doesn't admit it, my host does as well.** "

I glanced over to Roshi-san who was rolling his eyes. "He just _loves_ spilling other people's secrets," he commented. "You should hear him and the Gobi when Han is nearby, the two sound like gossiping housewives."

" **It's not like we have much else to do inside of these seals,** " Son Goku-san retorted. " **Besides, you shinobi lead such dramatic lives sometimes, it's almost like one of those… soap operas was it?** "

I shuddered in response. "Oh god, I hope not," I groaned, placing a hand over my eyes. "Those shows make me feel like my brain is rotting whenever I see even a _second_ of it."

"Tell me about it, thank god they made that shinobi only channel, at least I can learn something _useful_ on it when I'm in the hospital," Roshi-san grunted in agreement.

" **Ah, you two just don't know how enjoyable it is from an outsider's view,** " Son Goku-san replied with a chuckle. " **Especially when you start hearing about the stories the Infiltration and Seduction Corps tell.** "

I raised an eyebrow to Roshi who coughed minutely in embarrassment. "He _is_ right about some of the stories they tell," he admitted weakly. "There was one who posed as a noble's long lost son… and actually managed to convince the noble it was the truth."

"What? No way," I replied, looking aghast that such a ploy worked.

"I _know_ ," Roshi empathized with a nod. "And he managed to keep the act up for a year while he completed his mission, before faking his death from a fake illness, the funeral was apparently quite the spectacle, with _three_ so called illegitimate children coming forth."

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled forth from within me as I doubled over, clutching at my stomach as peals of laughter erupted from my mouth, Roshi-san and Son Goku-san soon joining in as we began to exchange stories of the unbelievable things we heard our comrades pull off.

* * *

I blinked when I left Roshi-san's mindscape, only a handful of seconds having passed in the real world, a few chuckles escaping my lips as I reentered reality. "I must admit, that was not how I was expecting that conversation to go," I commented in amusement to Roshi-san who chuckle in agreement, a pair of nearby samurai looking at us in confusion before shrugging it off.

"Ah, you really made his day," the redhead told me with a grin. "He loves to hear new stories whenever he can, so hearing stories from Konohagakure was perfect for him."

"Good to know," I replied with a smile. "He is… an interesting person," I said, shaking my head. "Who would've thought that one of the Bijuu was such a gossip?"

Roshi laughed in agreement. "Tell me about it," he said. "Still… thank you, you gave me a new perspective with him."

I blinked at his admission before nodding. "You are welcome," I replied as I settled myself back in for a long wait, thankfully with a good conversation partner.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 70  
 **EXP** : 4,875/35,000 **  
Age:** 18 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current - Former  
HP - **7,725 - 7,200 **  
CP -** 35,000 - 33,900  
 **STR -** 85 (127) - 80 (120) **  
INT -** 132 (198) - 130 (195) **  
DEX -** 152 (266) - 150 (262) **  
VIT -** 85 (127) - 80 (120) **  
WIS -** 125 (210) - 125 (210) **  
LUK -** 41 (61) - 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 25,542,153


	17. Chapter 15: Leaf and Rock

By the time the treaty talks ended - a week later - I was pretty sure me and Roshi-san were on our way to being good friends, which I probably shouldn't be surprised about since we were standing guard outside of the room where the discussions were taking place the entire week.

The treaty had been finalized and it was decided that there would be contingent of Iwa shinobi, with the Tsuchikage, who would come to Konohagakure for the 'official' signing before Sarutobi-sama would go to Iwa with his own contingent, alongside Onoki-san, to do the same in Iwagakure.

Far too much fluff and pomp for my taste… ah… mom's going to be making sure I'm wearing a formal kimono for the signing in Konoha, isn't she?

I may have the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, be the head of our clan, carrying an S-ranked bounty on my head, but all that pales in comparison to the dreaded motherly 'Evil Eye'.

So, because Jiraiya-sama sent word ahead with his toad summon, we were greeted with cheers and celebration at our successful treaty signing with Iwa, while no one expected relations with them to improve overnight, this was a significant first step.

* * *

Like I had thought, as soon as I had returned, mom had me dragged to the Uchiha's preferred tailor for non-shinobi outfitting and had me sit through the arduous process of fitting me for a _new_ kimono for this event. Neither the tailor nor my mother listening to me as they discussed designs and coloration without my input at all.

Eventually they settled on the Uchiha deep blue with black trimmings and a red version of the five petaled flower that I took up as my personal symbol emblazoned on my back with the Uchiha fan displayed prominently on both sides of my chest. The entire thing took nearly an hour to get on on the day of the ceremony, alongside the makeup my mother insisted on applying to my face, thankfully kept to a minimum, while a slightly younger mother in the clan tackled my waist length hair pulling it up into an elegant bun that was held in place with a pair of _very_ sharp senbon.

Thankfully, the billowy sleeves of my kimono allowed for me to at least carry a tan to strapped to my inner arm without it being _too_ obvious. Another positive was that I got to watch Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun undergo the same treatment as my mother made sure they were dressed in their own formal kimono's, since they were my charges they were expected to be seen in the background of the ceremonies. Sasuke-kun wearing the standard Uchiha Blue and Black with the Uchiha fan on his back, meanwhile, Naruto-kun was wearing a dark orange and black kimono of his own with the red Uzumaki spiral on display on his back.

The ceremony itself was a long and rather boring affair as the respective Daimyo's made grand speeches about peace and friendship which was followed by the respective Kage's own speeches about coming together to triumph and whatnot. Honestly, these ceremonies were mostly for the benefit of the Nobles of the countries to make the feel like they were actually in command of us. They were, just… peripherally.

I could see Roshi-san shifting uncomfortably across from me in the Tsuchikage's delegation, and sent him a smirk that made him roll his eyes. When the ceremony was finished the mingling began, the clan heads were expected to attend the small party held at the Hokage's estate alongside the visits nobles and the Tsuchikage's delegation.

Which, unfortunately, included me. So I was spending hours that I _could_ be using brushing up on my falling behind fuinjutsu skills, those hours were spent laughing politely to stupid jokes made by nobles who were looking at my chest and ass more than my eyes, evading the groping hands of said nobles with ease and making sure to give them false smiles as I parted from them.

Thankfully, Roshi-san seemed to have seen my 'distress' and offered to be my escort for the rest of the evening. "You do realize that there are going to be rumours of an affair between us flying through the courts before the night is over now, right?" I asked him, my hand resting on his elbow in a dainty manner that was drilled into me by my mother when I became the clan head as my mouth was hidden by the ornate fan that doubled as a bladed weapon.

Roshi-san snorted in response. "Don't remind me, I wouldn't be here unless the fence sitter made it an order," he murmured back to me as he smiled politely to another visiting noble from Tsuchi no Kuni. "You seemed to be suffering just as much as I am, and you know what they say about misery and company."

I chuckled and favoured him with an honest smile. "Just hope my mother doesn't catch wind of those rumours," I told him teasingly. "She just may and try and make some of them a reality."

"Ah, the perilous responsibilities of a Clan Head?" He countered with an equally teasing tone, drawing a giggle from my lips.

"Indeed, overwhelming paperwork, tedious meetings, boring ceremonies, and wedding happy mothers," I sighed with a false air of drama. "It is almost enough to drive one to death."

Roshi-san had to struggle to keep himself from breaking out into loud laughter. "The ah… _flinger_ is loving all of this," he told me, modifying his nickname for Son Goku-san for polite company. "The noble's drama, shinobi and kunoichi dancing around them with wordplay, and the fact that between the two of us, we have still not burned this place down."

I covered my lower face with my fan again so that the surrounding nobles couldn't see the improper smile on my face before I managed to get my facial muscles under control. "Well, _I_ for one wouldn't want to ruin Goku-san's entertainment for the night," I replied with all the skill of a highborn lady. "But, as they say, the night is young."

He grinned at me in agreement before Tsume Inuzuka spotted the two of us together and approached, prompting introductions as we began to chat with fellow shinobi and kunoichi. Roshi-san handling himself admirably amongst the foreign - to him - ninja as I introduced him to the various clan heads as we made polite conversation, him doing the same for any Iwagakure ninja that wandered over to us, including the Tsuchikage's son who I only met in passing during the treaty talks in Tetsu no Kuni, and a older blond woman who had a passing resemblance to Deidara.

As we chatted with each other, fellow shinobi and visiting nobles, I found the hand resting on his elbow becoming less and less forced and more natural as time went on, and as the party came to a close, I found myself inviting the older man to my home for the night under the guise of it being closer than the hotel he was staying at.

After all, he was a reasonably handsome man and a strong shinobi to boot…

* * *

I let out a small gasp of pleasure as Roshi's calloused hands gently pushed over my erect nipples as he nipped at my earlobe, my toes curling from the intimate action as I lightly ran my fingernails along his back. A small scream erupting from my throat despite my best efforts otherwise as he pushed within me, a small niggling feeling of forgetting something running through the back of my head that vanished as I felt something rub against a _very_ sensitive spot inside of me.

The mood was shattered when the door to my room was slammed by Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun, both wielding the tantos that I had given to them for their respective eighth birthday, ready to help defend me from whomever dared attack me, only to freeze as they spotted the tangled limbs that was me and Roshi-san as we stared back in equaled wide eyed shock.

"Ah… the silencing seals," that's what I was forgetting.

"Sorry! Nee-chan!" Naruto-kun shouted before dragging the shell shocked Sasuke-kun out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him, a brief flare of chakra told me he activated the silencing seals for me.

"Uhh…" Roshi-san looked to me uncertainly as we recovered from the shock.

"It would be a waste of a mood if we stopped here," I pointed out with a shrug before rolling my hips against him, smirking challenging at him. "Unless that is all the great Jinchuriki is capable of."

A small growl was his response before a squeal erupted from my throat as he resumed his previous actions.

* * *

I let out let out pleased groan as I climbed out of bed the next morning, still at the crack of dawn despite the… rigorous activities of the night, Roshi-san going through his own waking up process next to me.

Stretching out my pleasantly sore body, I deliberately gave redhead a free show as I moved over and pulled on some underwear before grabbing my bathrobe and slipping it on, grinning teasingly as he was forced to wear the bodysuit he was worn under his kimono last night. "Coffee?" I asked him as we entered the main room of the 'Clan Head's' apartment. Now didn't that sound strange?

"That would be great thanks," he said gratefully as I moved to the kitchen. "Would you mind if I used the shower?"

I grinned at him in response. "Go ahead, third door down the hall on the left," I explained turning back to setting up the coffee maker.

While it was called an apartment, my assigned quarters in the Uchiha Clan building would be more properly called an entire floor, because it really did take up the entire floor, several of the rooms being merged to set up a living room/kitchen combo with my office to one side along with a small taijutsu sparring area and the five standard bedrooms - two already claimed by Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun - and bathroom with the Master bedroom just beyond that.

It was rather… _large_ for my tastes, with me being uncertain what to do with all the extra room I had, one of the bedrooms set as a guest bedroom, while my mother made it clear the other two were to be left alone for any kids that I had.

Rolling my eyes at my mother's not so subtle wish for actual grandkids to spoil, Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun being like sons to her didn't count in my mother's books. I grabbed a pair of coffee cups and prepared one for myself, leaving one out for Roshi-san with the sugar in plain sight to find and the milk in the fridge.

I had barely gotten halfway through my first cup when paper arrived with Roshi-san getting out of the shower not long after, leaving it open for me to get myself clean.

That done, and dressed in a simple blue sundress, hey, they were easy to put on a pretty comfortable, I made my way back to the main area to cook breakfast when I heard Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun speak up to Roshi-san, drawing me up short.

"What's your intention with our Nee-chan?" Naruto-kun questioned fiercely, making me smile as I pictured his frown as Sasuke-kun tried to flower menacingly behind him.

"My… intentions?" Roshi-san sounded at a complete loss with how to address my little brothers, forcing me to cover my mouth at the thought of the experienced shinobi and Jinchuuriki being completely out of his depth. "Well… I think Yuriko-san is a lovely woman and I'd be happy with whatever she wants this to be?"

The hesitation he replied with told me that Goku-san was trying to help his host out with the situation. Deciding to rescue the man before he fell under the assault of my overprotective little brothers I stepped out of the hallway and made my presence known. "Now now you two," I chided them gently as I ruffled their hair from behind. "Roshi-san doesn't have anything nefarious planned for me and he was a complete gentleman last night, so ease off of him, okay?"

The two grumbled a bit before voicing their agreement as Roshi-san sent me a grateful look in response. "So, who wants pancakes for breakfast?" I asked the three boys at the table as I grabbed my apron.

* * *

Thankfully, the boys grew adjusted to Roshi-san's presence as I made breakfast, and the pair were quickly enraptured by the Jinchuriki's storytelling as he told them about some of the missions he had been on. As the morning grew on, a few clan members dropped in to give me some paperwork that _apparently_ required my urgent attention, only sparing Roshi-san a curious look as he entertained my little brothers.

Thankfully, the delegation that was being sent to the Iwagakure, which I had only learned I was apart of last night, wasn't due to leave until a few days, mostly to allow the noble's limited constitution to recover from the alcohol they drank at the party. Which was a good thing as it allowed me some time to speak with Roshi-san after having sent my brother's off to the Academy for the day with some of my younger clan members who were attending.

"So… he's a jinchuriki, huh?" Roshi questioned, looking completely unsurprised about Naruto-kun's furry guest. "We figured that you guys had one, just never knew _who_ it was, we also figured they were pretty young considering when the Kyuubi attack happened and your wish to share our Jinchuriki training methods."

I let out a small sigh as I recalled the fact that the Jinchuuriki would be able to feel each other through their Bijuu. "Yes, Naruto-kun is a jinchuriki," I admitted, no point in hiding it now, cat was out of the bag, and they would have figured it out soon enough. "What is Goku-san saying exactly?"

"Oh, he's ranting about his brother's arrogance and laughing about the fact that he's been captured despite being the strongest," Roshi-san replied with a humorous chuckle. "I take it he doesn't know yet?"

I nodded in confirmation. "We were planning on telling him when he's ten," I replied. "Then get him started on accessing the Kyuubi's chakra in small amounts as he tries to build up a rapport with him."

Roshi nodded in response as he leaned back, relaxing in the chair. "So… if you don't mind me asking… what exactly _is_ our relationship right now?"

I paused in my cleaning of the dishes from breakfast for a moment as I considered his question before shrugging. "Who says it needs to be anything right now?" he raised an eyebrow at me as I looked over my shoulder at him. "We're shinobi, this stuff happens, if more comes from it, we deal with it as it comes."

Roshi-san hummed as he thought about before shrugging. "That works," he agreed with a nod. "Should be easier to meet up now that our village's are allied to."

I chuckled in agreement, flashing him a grin as I finished tidying up. "Sounds good… now… want to go again?" I asked him. What? He was good lover!

The grin on his face was all the answer I needed as we darted back to my room to enjoy each other's company again.

* * *

The meeting between my mother and Roshi-san had went about as expected, my mother began demanding to know his intentions and just _how_ many children he was planning to have with me and thoroughly embarrassing the two of us relentlessly. Although she did issue him a rather serious warning about what would happen if he harmed me in any way, even if I was capable to defending myself and that we weren't actually in a relationship.

The trip to Iwagakure was an interesting one, in the end, being a part of the Hokage's entourage allowed me to be one of the handful of Konohagakure shinobi in a couple of generations to see Iwagakure with my own eyes.

And… I had to admit, it was an impressive sight, the village itself was buried deep inside of a mountain range, making it a nightmare to approach undetected and quickly. The large number of Earth users would have made their defenses rather simple, shore up the walls and gates and let your enemy dash themselves against them while causing rockslides to come down from above.

"To be honest, I am glad we never had to attack this place," I admitted plainly to Roshi-san as we walked through the gates of Iwagakure. "Just getting through the mountains intact would have been a nightmare."

Roshi-san chuckled in amusement. "Funnily enough, that's what we think about entering the forests of Hi no Kuni," he retorted easily. "I mean, seriously any one of those massive trees could have one of you hiding in them and we wouldn't be able to notice them until it's too late."

"Well, I guess we really take advantage of our home field advantage then," I said with a bit of laughter as we were greeted by the civilians and shinobi of Iwagakure. "Your home may look rugged, but I can see why your people love it."

Roshi-san hummed in response before nodding. "Indeed it is," he sighed with a content smile forming on his face.

I could see Sarutobi-sama smiling at me from where he was walking beside Onoki-san, the two Kage looking at us speculatively as we walked through side by side, we had _no_ illusions that they weren't aware of our actions and neither of us made any attempt to hide it, although we didn't do anything physical when on the road, limiting ourselves to simply chatting with one another and bringing our respective comrades into the conversation.

The ceremony in Iwagakure had been just as boring and dull as it had been in Konohagakure. The same long speeches made, the same comments and polite laughter, the party afterwards was a bit easier, since Roshi-san offered to be my escort from the very beginning, leaving me free from the… _advances_ some of the nobles tried to make on me.

"Ah, there he is," Roshi-san said, drawing me out of my musing as we worked our way through the crowd. "Are you having fun, Han?"

The man that Roshi-san had spoken too, turning, forcing me to crane my neck as I looked up at the downright _large_ man, wow… he was taller than Jiraiya-sama. He was actually bald with light brown pupiless eyes and a stern looking face as he looked us over, wait, Han? Wasn't that the Gobi Jinchuuriki?

"Hello, Roshi," Han-san greeted, his voice a deep bass that felt like it made my chest shake. "Who is this?"

"Han, meet Yuriko Uchiha, the current Clan Head, Yuriko-san, meet Han, the Gobi Jinchuriki," Roshi said, introducing the two of us.

I bowed my head politely, a small smile on my face as he looked me over. "A please to meet you, Han-san," I greeted him in a manner benefiting the party. "I've heard about your strength as a Shinobi."

"As have I," Han-san replied politely raising an eyebrow as he looked at Roshi-san curiously. "Although, I must admit I'm surprised to see the two of you together."

I hid my smile behind my fan before I replied to his unasked question. "I was guarding the talks with Roshi-san, and when he was in Konohagakure, he offered to escort me when I was starting to get annoyed by some of the propositions the nobles were sending my way," I explained. "He was quite the gentlemen, so I decided to have him escort me here in Iwagakure as well."

Roshi-san chuckled a bit, probably at me leaving out the fact that he ended up crashing the few days in Konoha at my place… more specifically my bed. "I see, well, I am glad to meet a friend of Roshi's then, Yuriko-san," I replied garnering a briefly uncovered smile from me in response as we shook hands. "How are you finding Iwa?"

I hummed for a moment as I considered how to respond to his question. "It is… interesting," I settled on. "I can see how your environment affected your design choice, and I must say it comes together with the surrounding mountains very well."

Han-san smiled at me approvingly at my answer. "I'm glad you think so," he replied smoothly. "Although I must admit, I wish there were more hot springs around like Hi no Kuni."

"Han is having an illicit love affair with every hot spring in existence," Roshi-san whispered teasingly into my ear, making me flick my fan over my mouth as I giggled. "Although he says it just a side effect of the Boil Release that the Gobi granted him."

"His name is Kokuo," Han-san retorted rolling his eyes at Roshi. "Just because you don't have a good relationship with Goku-san doesn't mean that I have to have one with Kokuo."

 _That_ got my interest, after all, Han was one of the very few who hadn't gotten any screen time in the anime, meaning much about him was unknown. So getting to know more about the other jinchuriki was a bonus in my books.

"How were you able to befriend him, Han-san?" I questioned curiously, bringing the man's attention away from his brief argument with Roshi-san.

"Simple, he wasn't really interested in fighting," Han-san replied. "I helped him fashion my mindscape into a forest for him to be in while sharing my senses with him."

Huh… well, that won't be too helpful with the crotchety Kurama, that's for sure. "Well, that's fortunate for yourself," I said in response.

Han-san nodded in agreement with my statement. "It is," was all he said on the subject before we started to drift our topics away from Bijuu and more towards interesting stories and rumours, Han-san eventually separated from us, leaving the two of us free to make our rounds greeting the assorted nobles and making polite chatter with them as the two of us mentally counted the seconds until it was polite enough for us to make our exit from the party.

Thankfully, the time came as we made our excuses and stepped out of the building that the celebration was being held in, allowing for Roshi-san to guide me through his village in the cool night air of Iwagakure.

Once we were away from the celebration, I found my evening with Roshi-san to be very enjoyable as he showed me the sights of the village, introducing me to a few shinobi he was friendly with as we encountered them, eventually we ended up at his simple one floor home that he surprisingly shared with Han-san when either of them were in the village.

And before you ask, no we didn't spend the rest of the night like rabbits, we simply decided to spend it resting, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

The rest of my time in Iwagakure was actually kind of nice, spending some time with the two Jinchuriki was rather enlightening about their personalities, and just how much Kokuo-san and Goku-san chatted with each other when the two were nearby to allow for the Bijuu to use their telepathic link.

My third day in Iwa, the day before I was to leave, I was rather surprised when I encountered one Kurotsuchi, the Tsuchikage's granddaughter.

"Hey! Leafhugger, get the fuck out of my way!" the pint-sized girl shouted as me as Roshi was showing me a few of his favorite restaurants, right the middle of the road where there was plenty of room to move to either side.

My, what a rude child. "There is plenty of room for you to step around, child," I told her firmly. "There is no need to be so rude."

"Ah shut up ya damn leafhugger!" she snarled at before turning to Roshi-san. "And you shouldn't be talking to her like that! She's obviously trying to subvert you to be a leafhugger like her."

I couldn't stop the unladylike snort that erupted from me at the child's anger as she rounded on Roshi-san who was looking rather annoyed with the child. "I don't know, Roshi-san, are you feeling rather subverted yet?" I asked him teasingly, getting a chuckle from the Jinchuriki.

"I don't think so, maybe you're not trying hard enough?" he countered just as teasingly as the girl fumed next to us.

"Hey! I'm the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, you have to listen to me!" she shouted childishly.

"No, I really don't, Kurotsuchi," Roshi-san informed her sternly. "Your grandfather? Yes, your father? I listen to him because I respect him, you? Not so much."

Kurotsuchi growled as she looked like she was about to form some hand seals before the brawny Kitsuchi-san appeared behind her, planting a hand on her shoulder as she froze. "Sorry about that, Uchiha-san," the older shinobi said politely as he looked down at his daughter disapprovingly. "I was certain I had told her to be on her best behavior with yourself and Hokage-sama's delegation, but it appears she wasn't listening."

"But they're _leafhuggers_ ," Kurotsuchi whined as she stomped her foot childishly. "They're supposed to be the bad guys aren't they?"

"To be fair, Iwagakure shinobi were bad guys to us before the treaty was signed," I commented, raising one of my eyebrows at her. "Besides, we're shinobi, enemies one minute, allies the second is par for the course pretty much."

The younger girl glowered at me as her father and Roshi-san chuckled in amusement. "Too true," Kitsuchi-san nodded in agreement. "Come on now, Kurotsuchi-chan, we're allies with Konoha now, there's no need to be so aggressive to them, and if she hasn't subverted Roshi yet, I doubt she ever will… even with their _after hours_ activities."

I was rather proud of myself when I didn't blush at the grin he sent my way. "We are both consenting adults, what we do in our own time is our business," I said in the manner of a proper lady, causing Roshi-san to produce a cough that sounded rather like 'bullshit', making me elbow him in response.

Kitsuchi-san chuckled in amusement. "Please, enjoy the rest of your day," he said to us as he guided a pouting Kurotsuchi along. "Oh! Before I forget, the Tsuchikage wanted to speak with you today at some point, Roshi!"

"Right, I'll go see him after getting something to eat," Roshi-san confirmed with a nod before tapping my arm. "Come on, I know a good place that serves some pretty good barbeque."

Smiling at him, I took his offered arm and allowed him to guide me to the restaurant.

* * *

"Are you ready, Sarutobi-sama?" I questioned as I stepped into his room at the hotel in Iwa.

"Indeed I am, Yuriko-chan," he confirmed with a brief smile. "How about yourself, not going to be _too_ disappointed at being separated from your friend?"

I rolled my eyes at his insinuation, having been putting up with them from himself and pretty much everyone from Konoha. "Oh you know me, I always fall to pieces whenever my heart is broken," I said sarcastically in response, drawing a chuckle from my leader. "We both knew this probably wasn't going to be a permanent thing," I told him plainly. "It was just something enjoyable while it lasted."

Sarutobi-sama chuckled a bit as he looked at me knowingly. "So you say, Yuriko-chan, so you say…" he teased, garnering a groan from me.

"You and my mother, I swear," I sighed as I placed a hand over my eyes. "Neither of you let go of the littlest of things."

"We're just looking out for your best interests," Sarutobi-sama told me as we left his room to rejoin the rest of the delegation for our trip back to Konoha.

"I think I can look after my best interests just fine, Sarutobi-sama," I replied dryly, falling into step beside him easily. "I'm the head of my clan and one of your best shinobi, I think I can take care of myself."

Sarutobi-sama laughed merrily in response to my protests. "Yes, but I don't think your mother will listen to that," he teased. "Ah, come to see us off, Onoki?"

I turned my gaze to see Onoki waiting by the gate of Iwagakure with his son, Han-san and Roshi-san standing beside him. "Of course, would be rude not to do so," he replied as the two shook hands.

"That and he wanted to escape the paperwork," Han-san pointed out jokingly, getting some chuckles from us as Onoki-san made a show of being irritated. "It was a pleasure to have gotten to know you, Yuriko-san," he said, addressing me as he held out his armored hand.

"The pleasure was mine, Han-san," I returned, grasping his hand in return. "Please, if you find yourself in Konoha, don't be afraid to visit, my family and I would be happy to accommodate you."

Han-san blinked a bit in surprise before nodding in agreement. "I just may do that," he said easily, his eyes crinkling to show he was smiling under his mask.

"And I suppose I could find a place for you, Roshi-san," I added teasingly, turning to the redhead who snorted in response, grinning at me. "Take care of yourselves?"

"Of course, you do the same, alright, Yuriko?" Roshi-san replied, smiling at me warmly, a small flutter running through me at the action.

"Always," I assured, leaning over to peck him on the cheek. "Until next time!"

I stepped away from the pair as the delegation fell in around Sarutobi-sama, a pair of Iwagakure jonin stepping forward to guide our group out safely.

Thus, we departed from the home of our newest allies, Iwagakure, peacefully, much to many other countries shock at the newest alliance.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 70  
 **EXP** : 4,875/35,000 **  
Age:** 18 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Former - Current  
HP - **7,725 **  
CP -** 35,000  
 **STR -** 85 (127) **  
INT -** 132 (198) **  
DEX -** 152 (266) **  
VIT -** 85 (127) **  
WIS -** 125 (210) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 25,542,153


	18. Chapter 16: Impending Matrimony

**AN: Just a quick note before I start, forgot to mention it last chap, but Roshi is eleven years older than Yuriko, making him twenty seven when she is eighteen**

* * *

When the procession returned home to Konoha after the treaty signing in Iwa, I had been hoping for things to return to business as usual. That was _not_ what I got.

"Nee-chan, I've been having these weird dreams since Iwa was here," Naruto-kun announced once I had gotten changed out of my shinobi outfit into a simple pair of pants and a t-shirt and relaxed on the couch.

"Oh? What about, Naruto-kun?" I asked him gently, my stomach cramping at my suspicion.

"Well… it's a big orange fox with big ears and nine tails behind a cage," the Jinchuuriki stated, confirming my fears. "And he kept threatening to eat you and Sasuke."

I closed my eyes briefly before letting out a sigh. "I was hoping to wait until you were ten to have this conversation," I told him as I opened my eyes to see the confused looks Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun were sending me. "Just wait a moment and I'll explain."

I quickly got up from the couch and moved to the door, placing a 'Do Not Disturb Unless We Are Being Invaded' sign and then locked the door and placed a silencing seal on said entry way and moved back to the couch.

"Right… do you remember the story about the night you were born, Naruto-kun?" I asked him, getting a nod from the boy, while I wasn't able to name his parents, I was able to give him an edited version of the events surrounding his birth. "Well, remember how I wasn't able to answer how the Yondaime defeated the Kyuubi?"

Again, Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun both nodded at me. "Well… that's because Bijuu can't be defeated conventionally," I explained. "Do either of you remember what Bijuu are made up of?"

"Aren't they pure chakra?" Sasuke-kun questioned with a tilted head, his brow furrowing in a cute manner that I unfortunately had to endure because of the serious conversation.

"Correct, Sasuke-kun," I smiled at the boy in confirmation. "As they are pure chakra, they would just end up scattered until reformed later, meaning there is only one way to deal with them long term, fuinjutsu."

"What does that have to do with my dreams?" Naruto-kun questioned, looking very much like a fox with his face scrunched up in concentration. "Did the Yondaime seal away the fox in a jar or something?"

I shook my head in the negative. "No, unfortunately the Kyuubi is too strong to be sealed like that, the only way for a Bijuu like the Kyuubi to be sealed properly is by sealing it, into a baby," I explained realization dawning on the pair. "Naruto-kun, the Yondaime entrusted you with this burden because your mother was the previous host of the Kyuubi, the bad man that attacked when you were born forcibly extracted him and enslaved him with a Sharingan technique created by Madara that was never really passed down."

My little brothers looked shell shocked at the revelation of Naruto-kun's status. "So… the fox that I saw in my dreams, is the Kyuubi?" Naruto-kun asked nervously.

I nodded in confirmation. "It is a terrible burden to bear, but Yondaime-sama and your mother had faith that you would be able to endure," I told him, shuffling closer to him so I could wrap my arms around him. "I waited to tell you because I wanted to make sure you were old enough to understand. Just remember, while the Kyuubi may be sealed inside of you, that does _not_ make _you_ the Kyuubi."

Naruto-kun nodded slowly in response before burrowing himself in my arms sniffling as he held back his tears. Sasuke-kun patted his brother on the back as I hugged the blonde tightly, giving him all the comfort I could provide him with the embrace.

"W-what should I do?" He asked me, looking up at me with teary eyes. "About the Kyuubi?"

I smiled gently as him as I used the he, of my shirt to dab at his eyes. "For now… try talking to him," I suggested softly. "Ask him what is name is, what does he like and dislike, what could you do to make him more comfortable in the Seal. Remember, he's been imprisoned for a very long time to keep him out of the hands of people who would control him for his own ends, but in the end, he is a victim himself."

Naruto-kun frowned a bit before nodding in understanding before burying himself into my body as we simply sat there on the couch, Sasuke-kun soon worming his way into my embrace, not wanting to be left out of the cuddling session.

* * *

I frowned as I watched the assembled nine year old kunoichi wannabes in front of me run through their taijutsu drills. "Yamanaka!" I barked out to Inoichi's daughter who flinched a bit as she was caught red handed looking off to where the boys were doing their own drills. "One hundred extra repetitions for the entire group."

My method for dealing with the fan girls in this group was rather simple, instead of individual punishment, the _entire_ group gets punished if I catch one ignoring their assigned work to ogle one of the boys.

It worked quickly, which Ino was definitely learning as she got glares from the entire class at earning them _more_ work. Interestingly enough, there was one big change because of my rather draconian methods; Sakura Haruno was no longer a fan girl. This particular change had happened when, in a fit of annoyance, I had them write out ten things they knew about what Sasuke-kun liked, disliked and his goals in life and then deconstructed every one of their beliefs about him.

I took particular pleasure in deconstructing their beliefs that he was aiming to avenge his clan and take the leadership from me. He had taken one look at the paperwork I dealt with on a daily basis and decided that he wanted _nothing_ to do with leading the clan. Smart kid.

This, combined with my question of what they wanted to accomplish as kunoichi, left several of them questioning themselves, Sakura included.

The pinkette had apparently decided that _I_ was going to be her role model as a kunoichi and began begging me for lessons in Iryojutsu. Remembering what she became in canon with some training from Tsunade after years of _neglecting_ her skills, I decided to actually teach the girl outside of the academy.

And dear kami… the girl is an understated _genius_. While her chakra reserves were naturally low as a result of being a first and a half generation shinobi - her mother being a civilian without a ninja in the family for five generations and her father being a retired Lifetime Genin - even with her on a _proper_ diet for a kunoichi and regularly training. I think the source materials _seriously_ understated how much _control_ this girl has over her chakra.

Shaking my heads from those thoughts, I turned back to the class, keeping a close eye on them. "So… you're an elite jonin, near master Iryonin, a leader of a clan _and_ a school teacher?" A familiar voice questioned from nearby, making me smile fondly as I turned to see Roshi-san leaning against the Academy building with his arms folded across his chest.

"Well, I'm apparently the only one who can do their job right in this village," I said with a dramatic sigh as I turned to Roshi, a small flutter in my heart as I faced him properly, keeping an eye on the girls to make sure they were continuing their repetitions. "What brings you to Konoha?"

He shrugged in response. "Eh, no clue, the fence sitter told me to take a vacation with Han and to visit our allies to strengthen relations for a while," he replied with a chuckle. "Give you three guesses as to where Han is."

I laughed merrily in response, some of the girls staring in shock at the sight of me laughing. "Oh, that's too easy to guess," I told him with a beaming grin before turning to my students with a dark look at the ones who stopped prompting the to start back up at double speed. "Still, it's good to see you again, been keeping busy?"

"You know how it is, somebody always has a problem, and we just happen to be the multipurpose tool to fix the problem," Roshi said with a smile, looking over the girls with a critical eye. "Good to see some people drive the Kunoichi hard, they have more to lose out in the field than shinobi."

Several of the girls paled as they realized what he was talking about, the other girls too sheltered to completely understand. "That, and no way in hell is one of _my_ students going to be dead weight," I announced with a snort, folding my arms under my bosom, noting with pleasure the way his eyes drifted to my chest.

Roshi snorted as he began helping me with the final lesson for the day as we began to spar with the students providing a unique insight with the students.

Soon enough, I had the boys in their room, completing their homework, leaving me and Roshi in the living room on either side of the couch, enjoying each other's company for the first time in six months. "So… what's your guy's real reason for being here?" I asked him finally as he pulled my feeling into his lap and began massaging them.

"Well, partly as a vacation like I said, and partly because your Hokage wants to start training Naruto with the Kyuubi, he had asked for me specifically, but since there wasn't anything pressing Onoki sent Han along as well," Roshi explained as he worked my feet over. "He seemed to be worried about something because he told us he didn't want to see us for a year, basically, he set things up so that we are Konoha's disposal for the time being… oddly enough, it happened after Jiraiya showed up out of the blue to speak with the fence sitter."

Well… that's weird. Unless… could it have been the Akatsuki making an early move?

"Weird," I vocalized after shaking off _that_ horrifying thought. "Still, it'll be good having you around for awhile at least."

Roshi grinned back at me before his hands stilled. "There is something I wanted to talk about with you though," he commented, giving me a serious look. "Our relationship, Onoki is supporting it, and I'm pretty sure your Hokage is as well," he gave me a raised eyebrow prompting a nod from me in return. "Well… what are your thoughts on it?"

I sighed as I considered his words for several moments. "I can't say that I'm, not opposed to the idea," I told him finally. "I like you, we get along easily… plus you're not the ugliest person I've met."

Roshi snorted in response as he grinned at me, tickling my feet a bit in revenge, causing several giggles to erupt from my throat. "So then… where does that leave us exactly?" he asked, looking a bit uncertain.

I smiled at him easily. "It means… in addition to looking for a ring, you might want to ask Onoki what will happen if we _do_ marry," I told him.

"Well… I already have the answer for one of those," he grunted, resuming his action of massaging my feet. "Onoki told me that if we continued our relationship, I would end up being sent to Konoha to become a shinobi here since you are a Clan member, and Clan Head to boot."

I blinked with wide eyes. "But… what about the fact that you contain Goku-san?" I asked him. "Doesn't that hurt Iwa if you become a Konoha shinobi?"

"Kind of, but in exchange, since I'm marrying into your clan, you will be required to gift Iwagakure with two jutsus equalling A-ranked in strength," he told me with a knowing look as I sighed.

"Easily done," I assured him with a grin, flashing my sharingan for a brief second. "So… did we just agree on marriage?"

Roshi blinked as he considered my words. "Huh… I think we did," he said with a considering look. "So… that's an interesting result."

I nodded in agreement. "How do _you_ feel about it?" I asked him with a concerned look.

"I'm not opposed to it either," Roshi assured with a small grin. "I have admit, however, I never thought I _would_ get married."

A fair concern for a jinchuriki, I admit to myself, but one that Roshi will have to worry about anymore. "I guess that means we have to set a date, don't we?" I asked him, allowing my body to relax.

"I guess so, that would make your mother happy if nothing else," Roshi said teasingly, getting a chuckle from me. "Strange though… the fact that I won't be considered an Iwa shinobi when we marry."

I frowned a bit as I looked at him in concern. "Are you alright with that?" I voiced my concern, my heart clenching a bit in response to my nervousness.

Roshi was silent for several moments before he replied. "Yeah, I think I will, in general, there is _very_ little lost love between Iwagakure and I," he explained with a sigh. "I will miss a few people, mostly Han, but… I think I'd like it better to stay here."

I smiled warmly at him before adjusting my position to scoot closer to him. "Well then… I guess then I just have to make sure there's something that makes you feel attached to Konoha, isn't there?" I asked him in a throaty voice, making him blink as I slid myself into his lap, facing him. "Because I don't think I want you going anywhere any time soon."

Roshi swallowed a bit, looking a bit surprised at my action. "Well… I guess I can't complain about that," he chuckled as he placed his hands on my waist, a wide grin on his face. "What exactly do you have in mind."

"Oh… I think you know," I breathed as I leaned into him, intentionally pressing my chest against him. "Why don't we go to my room so that I can explain in… _detail_."

Roshi blinked before I suddenly found myself being carried by him to my room, laughter bubbling up from my chest as he rushed through the apartment.

* * *

"MY LITTLE GIRL IS GETTING MARRIED!" my mother squealed as she slammed into me, hugging me tightly after me and Roshi shared the news with her the next day, nearby Han was chuckling alongside my little brothers.

"Calm down mom," I pleaded with her desperately as I tried to pry her off. "It's not that big of a deal!"

"Yes it _is_!" My mother protested as she let me go to dance in place. "I'm going to be a grandmother!"

Roshi coughed as he avoided my gaze. "Mom, you can save _that_ celebration for when I'm pregnant," I protested. "We need help with planning the ceremony."

"Of course!" my mom cheered, whirling onto the pair of us. "I'll go speak with the Hokage about the needed certificates! When I get back, we'll talk dresses!"

Before any of us could say anything my mom was gone with a blurring [ **Body Flicker** ]. "I have a class to teach," I said belatedly as I stared at the point my mother was at before turning to Roshi. "Good luck with my mom!"

"Wait… _what!?_ " I could hear Roshi shout as I ran from the apartment, heading for the Academy.

* * *

"So, today we have a guest here for a sparring match with Yuriko-san," Iruka-san announced to the full class, I was standing beside him, my arms folded across my chest. "Please welcome Anko-san to the class for the da-"

A loud crash interrupted Iruka-san as a bundle of cloth broke through the window before it unfolded itself to show it to be Anko-san as she pinned a banner to the ceiling with her kunai. "It is I, the great and wonderful Anko Mitarashi!" the brazen kunoichi shouted as she blocked our vision.

I let out a groan as I covered my eyes. "Anko-san, this is why you're still a Tokubetsu Jonin," I announced as I pushed the banner aside. "Please show some restraint won't you?"

"But that's _boring_ ~" Anko whined petulantly, the expression looking odd on the 21 year old's face.

Iruka-san groaned again as the two of us bickered, me trying to convince Anko-san to behave in a more professional manner while she protested it.

"If we could start the lesson, please?" he pleaded, bringing our attention to him. "If you would head out to the sparring ring?"

I rolled my eyes in response before sighing. "Very well," I announced as I moved to the window broken by Anko-san and leapt out, followed closely by the other woman.

The two of us waited patiently for Iruka-san to lead the class to join us in the field as we sized each other up. "This is a chance for many of you to see what an advanced taijutsu style will look like when mastered," Iruka-san explained to the class. "And the result of dedicating yourself to your training."

He turned to the two of us. "Remember, _taijutsu_ only," he reiterated, looking at Anko-san in particular who rolled her eyes and nodded. "Alright, until first pin, give up, or ring out. Begin!"

Anko launched her fist forward, aiming for my chin, probably to disorient me only for my hand to whip up and knock her fist to the side as I slid forward a step and moved my block into an elbow strike.

Anko-san spun out of the way, using the momentum of the spin to try and sweep my feet out from under me. I kicked back into her sweep, cancelling out the force behind it, allowing me to keep my balance as I moved back to create some space between us as Anko-san turned to face me fully.

Releasing a breath, I stepped forward again, snapping my fist forward at Anko-san, pushing her back a bit as she blocked my strick and quickly raised her leg to block my low kick with her shin only for me to push myself forward, landing on my outstretched leg and pushed hard into Anko-san, knocking her off balance as I continued to press the advantage.

In a display of flexibility, Anko-san bent herself back further in her fall, planting her hands on the ground to pull her lower body up in a rising kick that I managed to avoid, giving her plenty of room to get back to her feet and back into her stance.

We circled for several moments as we waited for the other to create and opening when I purposely made one that Anko-san zeroed in on and surged to strike at the opening I left on my sternum. Her strike was met by me catching her wrist in an iron grip. "Crap," Anko-san muttered as she tried to free herself from my grasp only for me to wrench her forward and spin, throwing her over my shoulder onto the hard ground, drawing a gasp from her as the air was forced from her lungs.

I ended the match by pinning her to the ground with my foot planted on her solar plexus, preventing her from properly drawing enough oxygen into her lungs to recover herself.

"Winner! Yuriko-san!" Iruka-san announced as I stepped back from Anko-san, allowing her to stand up.

"Note, this is not an indication of who is stronger," I told the crowd of raptly attentive students. "This was solely taijutsu where both of us were aware of the other, not every engagement will be that cut and dry."

"Like the fact that I _normally_ use senbon coated with assorted poisons and summons from cover and from hidden positions," Anko grunted as she stood up, giving me an appraising look. "Not to mention Yuriko's use of Chakra Scalpels making any physical contact even worse."

I nodded in confirmation. "For example, instead of simply grabbing her, I could have removed her wrist completely," I announced, getting some green faces at the image it produced. "And while she was recoiling from that, she would have left herself vulnerable to my follow up, which would mostly be applying my chakra scalpel to either her lungs, heart or brain to kill her instantly."

A few more green faces popped up among the students as they looked at me with slightly fearful looks. "Thank you two for the demonstration and analysis of a real battle," Iruka-san said as he stepped forward. "Alright, everyone, back into the classroom!"

"Ah, Iruka-kun!" a familiar voice called out, making a shiver run down my spine as my mother appeared in the small courtyard. "Would you mind if I borrowed my daughter for the rest of the day? Thank you!"

Before I could even take a step, my mother had grabbed onto me and pulled me along in her [ **Body Flicker** ] to my home where Roshi was waiting alongside Han-san who seemed to find the entire thing too humorous. "That was rather rude of you to leave like that, Yuriko-chan!" my mother announced with a beaming smile as she pinned me in place with her dreaded evil eye.

"Well… I am a teacher at the Academy," I protested feebly against my mother's accusation. "And we have plenty of time to plan this out! It doesn't need to be done right this second."

"Oh, the mothers of the clan already had everything planned out honey," my mother tooled me, getting wide eyes from me. "We started planning since you became the clan head, you have a responsibility to pass your genes along, especially now that our clan is so small, I approve of Roshi-san by the way, strong, good looking, and you two get along."

I flushed as I refused to meet Roshi's eyes in embarrassment from how she was acting. "Mom, please, Roshi and I only _just_ agreed to marry yesterday since it looked like Sarutobi-sama and Onoki-san were pushing for it," I told her, regaining control over myself. " _Please_ , don't make this into a massive production, yes, I _understand_ my responsibilities to the clan, but you _are_ taking this a bit far."

My mother stilled in her movements before letting out a light sigh. "I know dear," she told me, smiling softly as she looked at me with her warm eyes. "But, you have been pushing yourself _so_ hard lately, between raising Naruto-kun, taking up leadership of the clan, taking in Sasuke-kun, all the missions from the Daimyo, your responsibilities as one of Konoha's strongest kunoichi, and the best Iryonin _still_ with Konoha… the first time I've seen you actually _truly_ relax was with Roshi-san."

I blinked at my mother's words, trying to think back to try and pull something up to dispute it. Only… I couldn't.

I loved Naruto-kun, I truly did, but even with my putting my entire heart into raising him, I still had a few sleepless nights wondering if I was doing a good enough job for Kushina-san and Minato-sama. Ever since I became the leader of the clan I've been busy trying to organize things to keep the clan afloat financially without pulling too heavily from the clan's treasury, making sure everyone was happy and content, the orphans were getting cared for, the ones who are in the academy were doing well and getting the training they needed. Working at the Academy itself as I tried to ensure there was a proper lesson plan for the future kunoichi of Konoha while also trying to break them of their fan girl habits.

And the less said about the majority of the missions I _am_ selected for, the better really.

I was pushing myself way to hard.

The realization hit me in the gut as I slumped back into my chair. The last time I remembered getting a full eight hours sleep was when I had my last rendezvous with Roshi.

If I kept going like this, I was going to break.

"I… understand," I told my mom with a bit of a smile. "I'll talk with Tsuki-san and get her to help me with some of the less critical Clan paperwork and tell Sarutobi-sama that I will be stepping down from my teaching position in the academy once this current batch is done," I promised her, getting her to relax a bit before she turned to the slightly confused looking Roshi.

"Roshi-san, as my son-in-law, I am going to be leaving my daughter in your hands, she is willful, stubborn and doesn't realize her own limits, I am trusting that you will ensure she doesn't harm herself by pushing herself too far and calling her on her stubbornness," she told my now fiancee sternly. "Can I count on you to do this for me?"

Roshi straightened in his seat as he met my mother's eyes. "Of course, Shigure-san," he assured her firmly. "I'll look after her to the absolute best of my ability."

My mother relaxed further as she smiled at the red haired man nine years my senior. "Good," she breathed in relief. "Now… the clan is going to be handling the setup, and yes, we can afford it," she cut me off as I opened my mouth to speak. "Now, all you two need to do is help with a few details here and there and _keep your noses out of it_ ," I _knew_ the last part was more for me than anything else as I gave my mother a confused look. "You're a bit of a control freak when it comes to organizing things dear."

I blushed in embarrassment at her accusation as she turned a bit to Roshi. "I take it Han-san is going to be your best man?" She questioned the two Jinchuuriki exchanging looks with one another before Han-san shrugged and nodded. "Alright then, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, the both of you will be the ring bearers, honey, Sarutobi-sama already agreed to escort you down the aisle for the ceremony."

I blinked, a few tears welling up in my eyes at the poignant reminder about the death of the major male figures in my life before it was crushed by a surge affection for the elderly leader and nodded my understanding.

My mother sighed, knowing what the tears were for. "Your father and brother would be _so_ proud of you right now," she whispered to me affectionately, cupping my cheeks affectionately before wiping away her tears. "How does a couple months from now sound for the ceremony?" She questioned, moving to sit down beside me, the two of us providing comfort to one another from our shared loss.

"Yeah, That sounds good," I agreed after looking to Roshi who nodded in agreement.

I allowed myself a smile as my calmer mother began walking through the various things that needed to be done and listened to our opinions on them.

* * *

My stomach heaved as I spilled my guts into the toilet in front of me, the smell of fresh bile pulling another wave of vomiting from me as Roshi held my hair back.

"You don't have a fever," Roshi commented as I felt his warm hand run across my forehead. "Other than vomiting you're not showing any signs of illness."

"I didn't pick up any viruses or infections when I scanned myself, but doing that always disrupts the results, but it could just be the stress catching up with me," I groaned as I recovered from my latest wave of vomiting, with the wedding being only a month away it wouldn't surprise me if stress had began to creep up on me, after all, marriage _was_ a pretty big step.

"We'll know more when the boys get back with your mother," Roshi said as he ran a damp towel across my forehead, wiping away some sweat for it before wiping away the bits of bile on my face.

A loud bang echoed through the apartment as my mother rushed in looking a bit frantic. "Here, let me see," she said quickly as she placed a cool hand on my forehead as I relaxed, allowing her to run her chakra through me. "Oh… dear… when was your last period?"

I blinked at the odd question as I tried to think of the answer to the question, let's It it was… before Roshi and Han-san arrived in Konoha… _two months ago!?_ I could _feel_ the blood rush from my face as I stared at my mother in disbelief.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant," she announced to me before my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I fell into blackness.

* * *

"I just had the strangest dream," I groaned as I opened my eyes to the ceiling of my bedroom before looking over to Roshi who had a mixed expression on his face. "Only, you're going to tell me the fact that I just learned I'm pregnant _wasn't_ a dream, was it?"

"Nope, your mother just confirmed it, she place it right around the time that me and Han got here," Roshi confirmed with a nod. "Are… you alright?"

I took in a careful breath as I considered my answer. "I'm… shocked more than anything right now I think," I admitted a hand drifting to my abdomen where a new life grew _within_ me. "Mentally I thought I was prepared for this, but now that it's actually happening? I don't _feel_ ready…"

"Neither do I, to be honest" Roshi admitted, sitting down next to me on the bed, grasping my hand in his own. "I mean… a year ago I was just Iwa's weapon, but now? I'm to be married to a beautiful woman… who is now pregnant with my child."

I flushed a bit at his compliment before leaning into him. "I don't even know if I'm doing a good job raising Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun," I admitted, my heart clenching at the fact that I finally said it aloud. "I love the two of them, and I'm doing my best… but even with that experience… I just don't know… Kushina-san entrusted her son to me… and I don't know if she's approving of how I'm raising him…"

"I may not know his biological mother," Roshi started, pulling me closer as he began to pull me closer, running a hand through my hair. "But, I promise you, you are doing an amazing job, and when he looks at you, he doesn't see a sister, he sees his mother."

I froze at Roshi's words, guilt chewing at my heart. "But… I _never_ wanted to replace Kushina-san," I replied biting back a sob as emotions rushed through me, Roshi hugging me tightly. "She loved him _so_ much, and I tried so hard to save her… and then raise Naruto-kun for her…"

"I think she knows you didn't want to replace her," Roshi breathed reassuringly into my ear. "From hearing you talk about her, I think she would be happy to see that you raised her son with such love and care that he never had to question if he had a mother or not, simply because _you were there._ "

I sniffed a bit in response as I let out a shuddering sigh, and nodded my acceptance of his words. "Thank you… Roshi," I breathed as I felt my emotions calm. "I'm honestly frightened about the fact that I'm _growing_ a life inside of me…"

"Well… we'll just have to deal with it then," Roshi commented with a shrug making me weakly chuckle.

"Of all the things, I remembered to put up the silencing seal, but forgot the 'day after' technique," I sighed rubbing my eyes tiredly. "So… are you ready for this?"

"As I would ever be all things considered, how about yourself?" Roshi questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"About the same to be honest," I nodded in agreement. "So… any idea for names?"

Roshi chuckled in amusement as he shook his head.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 70  
 **EXP** : 4,875/35,000 **  
Age:** 19 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)aaa  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Former - Current  
HP - **7,725 **  
CP -** 35,000  
 **STR -** 85 (127) **  
INT -** 132 (198) **  
DEX -** 152 (266) **  
VIT -** 85 (127) **  
WIS -** 125 (210) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 25,542,153


	19. Chapter 17:New Beginnings and Old Wounds

I let out a small sigh as I sat with my hands folded across my lap as I allowed my mother fuss over the last minute changes to my makeup. "Mom," I said firmly, giving her a firm look. "I'm ready, stop fussing, you're making _me_ nervous with it."

My mother stepped back taking a calming breath before making minute adjustments to the white wedding dress I was wearing. " _Mom_ ," I said again, shaking my head. "Please."

"You're right," she breathed again as she stepped back. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," I assured honestly as my hand drifted to my slightly swollen stomach, my pregnancy finally starting to show itself three months in. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

My mother smiled at me as she smoothed out her own dress, allowing me to look at myself in the mirror in the room.

Honestly, if I didn't know it was _me_ I would've had a hard time recognizing myself in the reflection, artfully done makeup removed any possible blemish from my face, my lips were painted a deep red color, my eyes somehow stood out with the eyeliner surrounding them. In addition, my hair had been carefully combed and styled into ringlets that were pulled over both of my shoulders, allowing them to fall down my front, contrasting the white sleeveless dress I wore.

A knock on the door brought our attention to it as Sarutobi-sama stepped in, decked out in his full Hokage regalia. "It's time," he told me with a small smile, getting one from me in return as I smoothly got to my feet, accepting the bouquet my mother handed me.

"Well, time to face the crowd then I guess," I commented dryly, getting chuckles from the two as I slid my hand into the crook to Sarutobi-sama's elbow. "I am honestly surprised at how calm I am right now." Was [ **Gamer's Mind** ] the reason for it? Oh well.

Music started playing as soon as we stepped into the main hall where the ceremony was being held, keeping my head bowed slightly my eyes darted across the crowd, noting the various clan heads of both Konoha _and_ Iwa in attendance along with the Tsuchikage, this _was_ the first _recorded_ marriage between the villages after all, and a Clan head to a Jinchuriki no less, my eyes finally settled on Roshi, clad in a tuxedo with Han-san at his side standing at the front of the hall and the world seemed to fade away.

Honestly… I can't really say I remembered much of the ceremony, I remembered meeting eyes with an honestly stunned looking Roshi as he looked at me as the monk from the Fire Temple began to speak, I remember reciting our vows to one another, our oaths to always stand by and support each other no matter what.

And then, the kiss.

Physically, it wasn't anything special, symbolically on the other hand, it was the start of our new lives, hell, afterwards some of the newspapers heralded it as the real start for the alliance between Konoha and Iwa, some of the less… _reputable_ papers stating that I used my sharingan to convince Roshi to marry me, I just ignored them like so many other did.

The reception was an interesting event in the end, Han-san providing a rather… _embarrassing_ story about the two of them when they were younger and talking about marriage of all things. Both of the Kages present also stood and gave, thankfully, short speeches about the union.

"I have had the pleasure of seeing many shinobi careers progress, some exceeding all expectations while others were cut woefully short," Sarutobi-sama announced as he stood up to speak, the crowd paying attention. "And Yuriko Uchiha's… was one that had the attention of many since her first day in the war, an Iryo-nin to equal Tsunade's skill, even if she is too humble to believe it," he smiled at me as I tried to hide my blush. "And every time that I speak with her, I am always left struck by the strength she carries within herself as a kunoichi of Konohagakure, she has seen the death of her family members, of her loved ones, of people she could never replace, and all it has served to do is to make her more determined than ever to protect the people that remain. So I say this to you, Yuriko Uchiha, I look forward to seeing your, hopefully, long and bright future."

I smiling brightly at him, fighting back a few tears as he raised his cup to me, nodding my head in acknowledgement as he took his seat with Onoki raising himself into the air with his [ **Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock** ] jutsu.

"I will admit, when I first met Yuriko, I was not in the best of moods," Onoki announced, garnering chuckles from everyone. "And I probably didn't make the best first impression by threatening her, but, to her credit, she gave as good as she got, and that was when I first gained some respect for her. The following years, and several idiots removed from the genepool, that respect had been reinforced because with every letter she wrote, instead of spitting accusations and threats, she was without fail, polite. Never assuming the worst, but simply accepting what had happened, I quite honestly doubt that I will ever meet another kunoichi like her," he gave me a nod, grinning a bit at my wide-eyed expression of surprise. "As for Roshi… while many would see him marrying into Konohagakure as a loss, I do not, I see it as a strengthening, as a promise. Because of our new union, and of the union before us now, Konoha and Iwa are united strongly, and while one of our finest and most underrated shinobi may have left the village, he has done so in way that ensures we have an ally to call upon when we have need of them, as we will aid them. So I salute the new couple, and the union of our once enemy villages, may this be the precursor to a new age of peace!"

The crowd applauded the diminutive kage's speech, joined by myself and Roshi as the servers took that as their cue to bring out the meal for the evening, allowing us all to break out into conversations with our tables.

The night was a fun one, dancing with Roshi, the two Kage, Roshi even managing to convince Han-san to step out into the floor. I made sure that the photographer for the entire thing got a picture of Naruto-kun dancing with Hinata-chan, the two of them blushing a bit in embarrassment at the attention I gave them. I remember Chika-chan catching the bouquet I threw out into the crowd before Roshi escorted me away with our honor guard to the Uchiha building for our night, Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun both staying the night at the Hyuuga compound to give us some time together.

The night itself was… different, there was a feeling to it like I hadn't felt before with Roshi, maybe it was the fact that we were now husband and wife, maybe it was just the charge from the wedding, maybe it was just coincidence, but… that night was a night I would always remember with my husband.

All I knew, that at that moment, I didn't care about the changes that I was making, I didn't care about what the future would hold, I just simply embraced my husband and enjoyed the moment for what it was.

* * *

Okay, since my reincarnation, I have been stabbed, electrocuted, burnt, attacked by killer rabbits, had my bones broken _more_ than once, and in general, I thought I had known pain.

Giving birth trumped _all_ of that.

The scream that tore through my throat as I tried to push my child out of me was loud enough that Roshi was wincing from more than just me crushing his hand with mine. And this had been going on for two hours now, _not_ including the rush to the hospital that happened _12_ hours ago when my water broke, nor does it count the twelve hours of enduring contractions as my body prepared itself for birth.

I could honestly say… this is the _worst_ pain I ever experienced… and I am a kami-damn _kunoichi_!

"Keep pushing!" Saya-taicho shouted encouragingly, honestly, she was about one of the _only_ women I would trust down their with my child when I'm giving birth. "I can see the head, the baby's coming out now!"

Sucking in a lungful of air I gritted my teeth as I squeezed my husband's hand even harder as I did my best to follow her instructions. "Dammit I hope this child understands just how much this freaking _hurts!_ " I shouted as I pushed my child out of my body before giving Roshi a glare with what was no doubt my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan from the flinch he gave. "And if you _dare_ to tell me to start 'breathing deeply,' I will _crush_ your balls and see how well _you_ breathe!"

Roshi nodded quickly signalling that he understood what he was saying. "Yes dear," he replied quickly, a bit wide eyed in response. Smart man.

"Don't worry honey, you're doing fine," my mother told me from where she was assisting Saya-taicho. "The head is coming out now!"

Sucking in another lungful I ignored a fresh wave of agonizing pain to instead grit my teeth and push again with my full might as the doctors assisted by gently pulling the child out. "The baby is out!" Saya-sensei announced as wails were heard. "It's a girl!"

I gasped for air, feeling weaker than any other point in my life beforehand, as they cleaned my baby girl from the placenta covering her and quickly wrapped her in a soft pink blanket before handing her off to me, I mustered up enough strength to hold my daughter in my arms as she was placed there by Saya-taicho, allowing me to look down at her as she began to calm a bit.

Her hair was red, a shade darker than Roshi's own with coal black eyes as she weakly opened them up to see me and Roshi, a pair of small white scars rested above her eyes, in the same place Goku-san had his eye ridges, no doubt the mark of her father's status as a jinchuuriki. "Oh… she's got your nose," I commented, a sob of joy welling up within me as we looked down at our daughter in awe.

"Your eyes though, which is probably a good thing," Roshi breathed into my ear, placing an arm around my shoulders. "She's gorgeous."

"Nee-chan?" Naruto-kun called out nervous, getting my attention to the door where he looked in nervously with Sasuke-kun, Han-san peaking in with a raised eyebrow.

"Come in, you two… met your niece," I told my adopted little brother's, sharing a knowing look with Roshi who nodded as the two rushed over to climb up onto my bed to get a better look. "Meet Madoka-chan," I told them as my daughter turned her gaze to the two faces entering her faces with a gurgle. "Madoka-chan, these are your uncles, Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun, they will be helping protect you from now on."

"Mhm!" Naruto-kun nodded eagerly, making sure not to let out his usual exuberant shouts when he was excited, we had been _very_ clear that it would upset the baby, as Sasuke-kun nodded in agreement, his face looking rather shocked.

"Also… the big guy in the back… he's your godfather, Han-san," I continued, smiling at the nervous looking jinchuriki, seriously, had enough power to take on an army by himself, and he was petrified about being a godfather, it was funny in its own way. "Don't worry, he only _looks_ scary… he's a big softy at heart."

A click was heard, making us look over to our mother who had just taken a picture of all of us, with a warm smile that I returned to her.

I had my family around me, my husband beside me, and my daughter in my arms, all was right in the world.

* * *

Thank god I had experience with raising Naruto-kun, if I didn't I would have been completely at a loss and overwhelmed by little Madoka-chan.

Roshi himself had been at a complete loss with how to care for a child, making me chuckle in amusement as I showed him how to change diapers and burp Madoka-chan properly.

Thankfully, I wasn't alone in raising her, Roshi was putting _everything_ he could into raising her, my mother doted on her granddaughter and was _more_ than willing to babysit when we were pulled away for missions, apparently even though the Daimyo sent me a nice congratulatory letter for my newborn, he still wanted me to do missions.

Thankfully my responsibilities had lessened beforehand, with me delegating most of my non critical paperwork to one of the other surviving Jonin Uchiha, a couple of the chunin had been promoted themselves over the last few years. Little Madoka-chan took up a lot of attention as she grew, loving the attention everyone gave her, especially that of her uncles who seemed to hover over her in wonder and a wish to protect her.

Madoka-chan squealed happily as I picked her up from her playpen as I _finally_ finished my paperwork for the day, catching up from the mission I had been on with Roshi last week. "Well, aren't you a happy one today, Madoka-chan!" I cheered at her happily as picked her up.

My daughter squealed happily as she smiled at me, gabbing away in her formless words. I giggled as I placed her on my hip and walked out of my office into the main apartment, the boys away at the Academy while Roshi was assisting some of the genin with their fire manipulation training.

A knock on the window brought my attention to the window where a cat masked ANBU was standing. "Hokage-sama requests your presence, Yuriko-sama," the ANBU informed before vanishing with a [ **Body Flicker** ], making me sigh as I looked down at Madoka-chan.

"Well… want to visit jiji?" I asked her, getting baby babble in return, unfortunately my mother was busy at the hospital and the usual mothers had their own hands full.

Grabbing her baby bag, I stepped out of the house and began making my way to the Hokage's Tower, the path _very_ familiar for me by now as I walked through the streets, politely excusing myself from conversation with the assorted mothers and grandmothers who greeted me.

"Hokage-sama is waiting for you, Uchiha-sama," the secretary informed me as I strode in, garnering a nod from me in return.

"Thank you, Retsu-san," I replied, smiling at her briefly before stepping into the office. "You called for me, Hokage-sama?"

"Indeed, thank you for coming so promptly." Sarutobi-sama greeted with a fond smile as Madoka-chan babbled happily at him. "Hello to you as well, Madoka-chan," he said cheerfully to my daughter. He really was a grandfather to everyone in Konoha. He had even kept an eye on her when I got rushed into an A-Rank mission for the Daimyo at _extremely_ short notice and none of my usual babysitters were available.

"I just wanted to inform you about some of the movements we've secured about Itachi," Sarutobi-sama informed seriously. "He was recently spotted in Tsuchi no Kuni in the company of Kisame Hoshigaki wearing black cloaks with red clouds, it seems he's joined an organization of some kind."

My eyes narrowed in response, ice filling my voice as I spoke. "Do we know anything about the organization?" I questioned him, Madoka-chan squirming a bit in response to the anger radiating off me, making me bounce her a bit in comfort.

"This is an S-Class secret for the time being," Sarutobi-sama replied firmly. "And we are only informing you because of your connection to the organization's goals. They are called the Akatsuki, and the only goal we have been able to find out so far, is hunting down and acquiring the Jinchuriki of the nine bijuu."

A growl ripped from my throat. "So… the clan wasn't enough for him?" I muttered angrily, getting a strange look from Sarutobi-sama.

"Because of this, I have pulled Kakashi from ANBU and I am going to have him assigned as Naruto-kun's Jonin-sensei," Sarutobi-sama informed me.

My lips thinned in response. "Are you sure you can trust the coward with it?" I snarled, unable to stop the words from coming out. "Chances are he'll just run off when Naruto-kun needs him the most again."

Sarutobi-sama winced a bit at the words I spoke. "You weren't exactly in the best state afterwards yourself, Yuriko-chan," he replied, garnering a shamed wince from myself. "I know that you have… _opinions_ on his actions after the death of Minato and Kushina, but he watched over Naruto-kun in his own way."

I looked away, my face heating up with some shame. "I don't remember him being there when Naruto-kun was teething, I don't remember him being there when Naruto-kun was getting teased by some of the older students for his chakra control issues, I don't remember him being there when I was trying to comfort Naruto-kun when I was still grieving for Sakaki-nii-san," I knew my voice was shaking but I didn't care as I ranted. "So if he was watching, then _where was he_ when Naruto-kun had tripped while training, cutting his hand with the kunai he was training with? If he was watching, _where was he_ when Naruto-kun was learning how to control the Kyuubi's chakra from Roshi and Han-san?"

Sarutobi-sama gave me a knowing look as he seemed to look even older before me. "Yuriko-chan," he spoke, cutting through the anger I was feeling. "Kakashi was just as lost as you were after Minato and Kushina's death, unfortunately we weren't able to give him the support he needed, and he would _not_ have been equipped at _all_ to raise Naruto-kun. I _allowed_ him to enter ANBU because that was the only place he _could_ recover."

I looked down at Madoka-chan as she began to play with my hair, looking like she adjusted to the heavy atmosphere the conversation was created. "I'm sorry, Sarutobi-sama," I whispered with a small frown as I gently ran a finger along her cheek. "It's just…"

"You are only human," Sarutobi-sama assured me with a calm smile. "Yuriko-chan, I know how you feel, but please remember, he is going to be there to protect Naruto-kun."

I let out a small sigh and nodded. "Of course, Sarutobi-sama." I replied. "I will keep your words in mind."

"That is all I ask for, Yuriko-chan," Sarutobi-sama assured me with a small smile. "Now, you mind if I spend some time with Madoka-chan as well?"

I couldn't help the smile that came over my face as I chuckle. "Of course I don't mind," I assured him as I stepped forward, allowing him to take the now happily gurgling Madoka-chan from my arms.

* * *

I watched with a worried look as Roshi and Naruto-kun were meditating in a clearing of the [ **Blackwood Forest** ] keeping an eye out for any of the chakra mutations that would try and attack them.

The pair were currently within their minds, speaking with their bijuu, Roshi and Goku-san trying to help Naruto-kun with convincing the Kyuubi to share his chakra with him.

I twitched minutely as a new chakra signature entered the field and made its way towards us. Glancing over I spotted a head of silver hair as Kakashi strode forward, his face unreadable under the half-face mask and only one visible eye.

"Hatake-san," I greeted neutrally as he entered the clearing.

Hatake-san blinked as he looked over at me with a lazy look, his entire body stiff. "Uchiha-san," he replied back, nodding ever so slightly. "What are they doing?"

"Communing with their Bijuu," I replied evenly. "Roshi and Goku-san are trying to convince the Kyuubi to lend him some chakra."

"Ah, so we are trusting an Iwa shinobi for this?" he questioned.

"We are trusting an ally and now _Konohagakure_ shinobi for this, yes," I shot back coldly, glaring at him briefly. I knew why he was suspicious and distrustful of Iwa Shinobi; it had been a trap by them that had 'killed' one Obito Uchiha. Regardless of that, there was no way in hell I was going to let him imply treachery on the part of my husband and my child's godfather.

Hatake-san stared back at me blankly as I met his stare for several moments before shrugging carelessly. "Well… I suppose you _would_ trust others to do the hard work," he said bluntly. "After all, it didn't turn out all that well the _last_ time you were supposed to guard someone."

My eyes narrowed as my hand twitched at the reminder of the night of Naruto-kun's birth. "Well, at least _I_ didn't abandon the child of my mentor to _run and hide_ ," I shot back, my voice growing even colder.

Hatake-san twitched in response as he turned a cyclopean glare on me. "Considering that you failed _twice_ to protect the people you care for, I don't need to hear that from you," Hatake-san growled in response.

I knew my sharingan flared to life as I glared at him in response, my jaw tightening. "Better than _your_ track record, at least I was there to _try_ ," I snapped at him, anger coloring my tone.

A larger twitch spasmed Hatake-san's hand as his eye narrowed. "I am honestly surprised Naruto didn't die under your watch considering how _everyone else_ ended up," he snarled angrily.

 ***CRACK***

I didn't care if it could be considered insubordination, but if felt _good_ to punch him across the face at his words. "Watch yourself, Hatake," I growled as he staggered back from the strike. "My patience has its own limits, and you are pushing them _severely_."

Hatake snorted as he rubbed his covered jaw, no doubt it would have an impressive bruise in the morning. "And the fact that you just attacked your superior won't help you," he said in a smug manner.

"Superior, hardly," I replied with narrowed eyes. "We're the _same rank_ , Hatake-san. _You_ may be the overly vaunted 'Hero of the Sharingan' but _I_ am the 'Equal of the Clan Killer'. In _my_ opinion you're just _wasting_ my cousin's eye."

Kakashi's eye widened and I barely managed to block his strike with my active sharingan as he glared furiously at me. "You _dare_?" he snarled angrily.

"I do," I snarled back, equally angry. "I wonder what he would think of your decision to abandon Minato-sama's _son_ after he died, what is it that he vaunted all the time? 'Those who abandon their mission are trash, but those that abandon their comrades are worse than trash'? What would that make _you_ then Hatake?"

He let out a strangled shout of rage as he struck at me again with his opposite hand that I barely leaned out of the way of only for him to headbutt me on the bridge of my nose, pain searing through me as it broke under his hitai-ate.

I stepped away, my hand reached up, alight with green chakra to fix the damage as Hatake reached up and pushed his hitai-ate up to reveal his three-tomoe sharingan. "You're _really_ going to _try_ and use my cousin's eye against me, Hatake?" I questioned tauntingly as I fixed my nose, my own sharingan spinning. "How arrogant can you get, Hatake? _No-one_ with an implanted Sharingan can defeat an Uchiha with it."

Kakashi snarled in response as he began forming hand seals, my own hands coming up to mimic his seals. "You…"

"What's wrong? Don't like someone stealing your schtick?" I asked tauntingly, a smirk coming onto my face as we continued to form the seals. "You really think _you're_ the _only_ one to use this trick against people?"

Hatake snarled as we finished forming the seals, about to release it before something stepped between us, cloaked in magma red chakra as we were suddenly pushed away from one another. " **ENOUGH!** " Roshi roared with his bijuu chakra enhanced voice. " **You are both** _ **allies**_ **, why the** _ **fuck**_ **are you fighting to kill!?** "

I blinked several times as I shook my head in disorientation, my husband's words feeling like someone dumped cold water down my back. "Dammit…" I grunted, shaking my head. "You're right… Roshi…"

I looked off to the side to see Naruto-kun looking between the two of us in worried concern. "Nee-chan?" he called out questioningly, making me slump a bit as I sighed, running my hand along my face as my sharingan faded.

"It's alright Naruto-kun, we were just having an argument that got out of hand," I admitted, smilingly comfortingly at him. "Isn't that _right_ , Hatake-san?"

"Ah… yeah," Hatake-san agreed sheepishly, seeming like he also realized what had been about to happen between the two of us. "Thank you for stopping us… Roshi-san."

Roshi nodded as his [ **Lava Release: Chakra Mode** ] faded. "No worries," he replied, sending a look between the two of us. "Just be glad Kurama pointed out what was happening while we were conversing with him."

"Kurama?" I questioned, remembering that I wasn't supposed to know the Kyuubi's name. "Is that the Kyuubi?"

"Yeah!" Naruto-kun confirmed with an eager nod. "He was _really_ grumpy at first, but he seemed to calm down after Goku-san talked with him for a bit. He's being _really_ stingy with his chakra though, won't let me do anything cool like Roshi-nii and Han-nii can do with their partners!"

I smiled at him warmly as I jumped down and patted his sunny blond hair affectionally. "Don't worry too much about it," I told him softly. "It _is_ his chakra after all, he will only share it when he wants to, kinda like how you and Sasuke-kun share your toys."

Naruto-kun screwed his face up in an adorable manner as he thought about it before nodding. "Then I have to be friends with him in order for him to share?" he asked for confirmation, getting a nod in response from me.

"Exactly," I confirmed with a giggle. "If anyone can befriend him, than it's _you_ , Naruto-kun."

My little brother smiled brightly at me before hugging me tightly in response. "I'll make you proud, Nee-san," he told me confidently.

"I always am," I assured him with a smile as I stroked his head gently. "Now, let me introduce you to Kakashi Hatake-san, he is an… acquaintance of mine."

Naruto-kun looked over to the silver-haired man who had recovered his poise and covered up Obito's sharingan. "Why were you two fighting?" he asked, looking up at me suspiciously, before glancing at Hatake-san with the same suspicion.

"Ah… I think that may be my fault," Hatake-san admitted. "I mentioned some things that were… _sore points_ for your sister."

"Unfortunately, I didn't help it very much either," I pitched in, owning up to my own responsibility with the situation. "But… I _think_ we have gotten out of our systems now," I looked over to Hatake-san with a raised eyebrow.

"I think so as well," Hatake-san nodded in agreement. "It won't be happening again."

"Well… alright then," Naruto-kun nodded in agreement as he stepped away and looked up at Hatake-san with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

A flash of a deep pain flashed through Hatake-san's eyes briefly before he covered it with an eye smile. "It is nice to meet you, Naruto-kun," he replied cheerfully, a cheer that was only a little forced. "I've heard some good things about you."

I smiled as Naruto-kun chatted with Hatake-san, looking over as Roshi stepped up next to me and slid his arm around my waist, allowing me to lean against him a bit, it was rough for me, to look at Hatake-san and see the reminder of my own failures, but… for Naruto-kun, I think the two of us could get along.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 75  
 **EXP** : 4,875/35,000 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current - Former  
HP - **9,125 **-** 7,725 **  
CP -** 37,900 **-** 35,000  
 **STR -** 95 (166) **-** 85 (127) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **-** 132 (198) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **-** 152 (266) **  
VIT -** 90 (135) **-** 85 (127) **  
WIS -** 135 (202) **-** 125 (187) **  
LUK -** 41 (61) **-** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 36,578,254 - 25,542,153


	20. 18: Descending into the Bloody Mist

"Dammit!" Naruto-kun cursed as he tried again to create an illusionary clone only for it to come out looking rather weak and feeble. "Why can't I get this right?"

I smiled encouragingly at him. "Well, I guess that means you're just not that good with fine chakra control," I told him comfortingly. "I'll try asking Sarutobi-sama if he knows any other clone techniques you can learn."

Naruto-kun pouted a bit in response. "But… I don't want to disappoint you with not being able to learn your techniques…" he admitted reluctantly, not meeting my eyes.

"Naruto-kun, you would _never_ disappoint me, I saw you putting in your _every_ effort to learn everything I tried to teach you," I assured him. "Even if you can't learn _my_ techniques, that just means you must create your own."

Naruto-kun blushed a bit before nodding. "Then I'll make the best damn jutsu you will _ever_ see!" he declared proudly making me smile cheerfully at him.

"I know you will," I assured him with a chuckle. "How about you work on splitting the leaf for now while I help the others with their training?"

Naruto-kun nodded eagerly before running over to one of the trees in the Uchiha training ground and running up it to grab a leaf to do his Wind Nature Manipulation training.

Looking away, I grinned at Sasuke who was working on igniting a leaf with his fire chakra, managing to get some wisps of smoke emanating for it, my eyes came to a rest on the pink hair of Sakura as she walked into the training field. "Ah, good morning, Sakura-chan," I greeted her cheerfully, getting a somewhat nervous smile from her. "Ready to continue your training?"

"Yes, Yuriko-sensei," Sakura-chan confirmed, her face becoming determined. "What are we working on today?"

I smirked at her a bit before tossing her a wooden kodachi. "Self-defense," I told her firmly. "Being able to heal your allies is all well and good, but, it is of no use if they are getting killed by nearby enemies while you are trying to avoid getting hurt."

Sakura-chan stared at the wooden blade in her hand for several moments before meeting my firm gaze with a small gulp, letting out a firm breath she settled herself and tried to mimic my stance. Humming, I looked her over carefully, making adjustments to her stance, changing her grasp minutely. "Alright, step and swing, maintaining the stance," I instructed, watching her carefully. "Once you have swung, step back into the proper stance."

I made a slow slash of my own, giving her an example as to what it should look like. "Don't worry about doing it quickly at first, take your time, and you will gradually speed up a bit," I told her gently. "Don't worry about messing up, I'm not expecting perfection."

Sakura-chan nodded before following my orders. "Um… what about Tsunade-sama's rules for Iryo-nin to avoid fighting?" she questioned nervously, slowly going through the motions of the slash.

"Do you know how many actually listen to that?" I questioned dryly. "Iryo-nin developed their own fighting style for a reason. While I will always defer to Tsunade with medical matters, many of us refuse to allow our skills as _shinobi_ to falter simply because we wish to heal our comrades. Sometimes, however, the only way we can save lives, is to take them."

Sakura-chan swallowed tightly at my admission. "So… you don't follow the rules? But… aren't they the… well… rules?" she asked nervously.

I snorted in response. "They are _not_ the ironclad rules of the Iryo-nin," I told her firmly. "While I admit many do join the medical corps because they dislike fighting, but still wish to aid their comrades, but, like with two different taijutsu masters of differing styles, every Iryo-nin is different. The best example would be myself and Tsunade; I am fully dedicated to being a _combat_ medic, I will fight _beside_ my comrades to ensure their health. Tsunade is a _support_ medic, she fights at the rear lines, dealing with the serious injuries that us front liners can't deal with without distracting us from dangerous enemies."

"W-what are you training me to be?" Sakura-chan asked me with nervous eyes.

"Whatever you want to be," I told her firmly. "You could follow Tsunade's support role, my own front line role, or even create your own role. All I am doing, is giving you the skills you will need to succeed while being able to defend yourself."

Sakura-chan relaxed slightly as she continued to swing the wooden kodachi. "I see," she vocalized. "If… if you don't mind me asking… why does it sound like you don't like Tsunade-sama?"

I blinked in surprise as I realized she had picked up on my own feelings from talking about Tsunade's 'rules'. "That is a personal reason," I told her reassuringly. "I disagree with her on a professional level because of how she tries to heavy hand her own method as what _all_ Iryo-nin should be," I shook my head at the thought. "In my opinion, that would lead to stagnation in the medical field in general."

"Because we would all be following the exact same method and those who have difficulty with it would be left behind?" Sakura theorized, getting a grin from me.

" _Exactly_ ," I confirmed with a proud nod. "Myself, I could _never_ just stand back when everyone is fighting on the front lines, so if we were all to be following _only_ Tsunade's method, I would never succeed as an Iryo-nin."

"So you don't follow the rules so that you can flourish with your own skills," Sakura said, speaking more to herself than to me.

I smiled a bit as she continued to work on the form with the wooden kodachi I gave her, idly wondering if this is how my brother had felt when he was teaching me. Shaking my head, I turned to Sasuke-kun who looked like he was struggling a bit with the fire manipulation training.

"Sasuke-kun, you won't be able to ignite the leaf like that," I told him gently as he tossed a dried out leaf away. "You have to convert the chakra _before_ you push it into the leaf."

Sasuke-kun gave a grunt of frustration to tell me he heard me as he began trying to do as I said, making me smile a bit. It always surprised me, despite their initial appearances it was _Sasuke-kun_ who was the impatient one while Naruto-kun, who could barely sit still when doing nothing, who could intently focus on his training without pause.

My cousin was impatient when it came to learning new techniques and quickly became frustrated when he wasn't able to get it right away. I suppose that would come when you spent much of your younger life idolizing your genius older brother, especially so when that brother turns traitor and some idiots looked at him as if he would repeat Itachi's actions.

Fucking _idiots_.

Still, I made sure to get his head cleared when his frustration got to be too much or when his anger spiked too much.

I will _never_ allow Itachi to sink his stupid thoughts into Sasuke-kun's head, that twisted idea to make him stronger by making him suffer, I will crush it underfoot while providing my little brother stability and family so that he will _always_ have something to return home to.

And fuck _anyone_ who tries to take my family from me.

Because they will find themselves facing me, and I will not go easy on _any_ of them, no matter _what_ their reason is, even if it was to save the world.

Danzo had found _that_ out the hard way.

I looked away from Sasuke and out to Konohagakure proper, my eyes narrowing a bit. It was like Sarutobi-sama said, Konoha… is the family for all Konoha Shinobi, so for Konoha I would become a monster that others fear, so that my family is safe.

Turning away I smiled down at Sasuke-kun who was looking up at me with a frustrated pout and put those thoughts out of my mind for the time being. Right now, the monster that is Konoha's Bloody Scalpel wasn't needed, all that is needed is Yuriko Uchiha.

Times of peace like this, I can be myself.

"You have a mission for me, Sarutobi-sama?" I asked the elderly Hokage of the Hidden Leaf as I stood before him, it was pretty obvious he wanted me to deploy on a mission since he told me to leave Madoka-chan with Roshi.

"I do," Sarutobi-sama nodded in confirmation, giving me a severe look. "How aware are you of the situation in Kiri right now?"

"Just that they are undergoing a civil war based on the bloodline purges," I admitted with a shrug. While Kirigakure was trying to keep that knowledge hidden, the fact that they refused to host the chunin exams, only sent out a single team to _any_ exam, a team that didn't have any kekkei genkai users on it, and that they hadn't taken on any missions for a long period of time, spelt it out pretty clearly. "And that by this point they are pretty much bankrupt from the lack of missions they're doing."

"Indeed, and I have just received word from the teams scouring ROOT's records, that the rebel faction has been trying to get a hold of me for some time now," Sarutobi-sama revealed, getting a raised eyebrow from myself. "Danzo thought that Kiri was better off in the mess of the Civil War they are in the midst of right now, refusing to look at the long term on what should happen should the Mizukage actually _succeed_ in his purge of kekkei genkai users. He would see himself as correct, and look outside of Kirigakure to continue his purge, and with us having the large collection of kekkei genkai users in the elemental nations, we would doubtless be targeted next."

"What do you plan on doing, Sarutobi-sama?" I asked him curiously.

"Well… I will be meeting with the leader of the rebels in Nami no Kuni along with Onoki who has expressed interest in seeing the war in Kiri end before it spreads further," Sarutobi-sama explained calmly. "You will be my escort for this meeting."

"Of course, Sarutobi-sama," I replied, bowing a bit in response to his order. "When do we leave?"

"In an hour," Sarutobi-sama announced, garnering a blink from me. "This is being kept top secret," ah that explained it. "So tell no one where we are going and why. Meet me at the eastern sub gate when you have your gear."

I gave him a quick salute in response. "Yes, Hokage-sama!" I confirmed before vanishing out of his opened window with a quick [ **Inaba Flicker** ] as a popup window appeared before me.

 **MANDATORY QUEST!**

 **Give aid to the Kirigakure Bloodline Rebellion**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Ensure the Rebels emerge victorious against the Loyalists**

 **REWARD  
+50,000 EXP, +15,000 Reputation with the Reformed Kirigakure, 1,000,000 Ryo**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE**

?  
?

 **REWARD**

?  
?

Huh, been awhile since I've seen a mandatory quest like this. Then again, I _had_ been rather busy with my family.

Closing the notification window I rushed across the rooftops with only the rushing of displaced air indicating my passage as I made my way to my home.

Landing on my porch I entered into the living room to find Roshi watching the TV with Madoka-chan snoozing on his chest. "Mission?" he asked, seeing the serious look on my face.

"Yeah, might be a long one too," I replied, giving him an apologetic smile before kissing him fondly and brushing my lips across Madoka-chan's deep red hair. "Give my love to Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun when they get back?"

"Of course, and I will let Suzuha know that you're going to be away for an undetermined amount of time," Roshi assured with a chuckle, standing up very carefully so that Madoka-chan wouldn't wake up. "She can take care of most of the paperwork, if I remember correctly there shouldn't be anything major coming up, correct?"

I paused in thought for a moment. "Aishi-kun is graduating from the academy next week," I said as I moved through the small armory we had set up in the house - with several seals on the door to keep Madoka-chan from getting in - collecting my assorted gear and strapping my kodachi to my leg. "Well… if he actually _studies_ for the written test he will anyways."

Roshi chuckled in amusement. "I think his mother will be on his case for that," he assured me as I began checking my fuinjutsu supplies. "Your mother and Suzuha can keep the clan going while you're away."

I smiled softly at him as I placed my supplies into a scroll and slid it into my equipment pouch. "Thank you," I said gratefully kissing him again, the arm that wasn't holding Madoka-chan wrapped around my shoulder and held me in a gentle embrace as we kissed. "I love you," I whispered quietly to him after our lips parted.

His bearded face split into a grin in response. "I love you too," he replied kissing me again briefly before stepping away to allow me to continue to get ready. "Come home safe," he told me as I pulled on my now signature jacket.

"Always," I assured, smiling brightly at him before leaping off towards the sub-gate that I was to meet Sarutobi-sama at.

Our arrival at Nami no Kuni was rather… quiet to be honest, which really wasn't a surprise, since we were both high level shinobi who didn't want to be seen in the country, and quite simply no one did see our arrival until we met up with the Tsuchikage and, surprisingly, Han-san.

"Getting slow in your old age, Sarutobi?" Onoki questioned teasingly as he floated beside Sarutobi-sama.

"Hardly, I just enjoy viewing the scenery," my leader replied easily as Han-san and I clasped hands in greeting.

"Hello, Han-san, how have you been?" I greeted politely as our leaders began to converse with one another.

"Good, actually," Han-san informed, sounding rather… _content_. "Things have been… improving in Iwagakure since the alliance, and your marriage, how are Roshi and Madoka doing?"

I smiled at my daughter's godfather warmly. "They've been great," I assured him. "Madoka-chan _loves_ the stuffed doll of Kokuo you sent, can't go to sleep without it."

Despite his face being covered it was obvious the jinchuriki was happily relieved that his gift had been well received. "Good, the woman who made it was rather surprised at my request, actually," he admitted with a small cough as he looked away, drawing a giggle out of me at his bashfulness. "And Naruto? How has his training been? I know he was still trying to get Kurama to open up when I returned to Iwa."

"Well, he's gotten Kurama to speak with him a bit," I said, rolling my shoulders a bit as I frowned. "Apparently their conversations are lasting longer every time they speak, so, I don't know how long until he can safely access Kurama's chakra, or if he _will_ let Naruto-kun safely access his chakra."

Han-san nodded his understanding. "From what Kokuo was saying, Kurama is rather… _obstinate_ ," he commented with a sigh. "But, I suppose if anyone could, it would be Naruto, kid could make friends with a shark."

Laughter bubbled up from within at the jinchuriki's statement as my shoulders shook. "Fair enough," I replied mirthfully, grinning at him cheerfully before my active sharingan caught some nearby movement. "Company," I murmured to him, my hand twitching, the stiffening of Sarutobi-sama's shoulders and the narrowing of Onoki's eyes told me they caught my signal.

All of our heads turned to the tree line as a pair made their way out of the trees and made their way towards us, Mei Terumi taking the lead in her signature blue dress and her long russet red hair pulled into a ponytail, next to her was Ao with his blue and black outfit and eyepatch covering his implanted Byakugan and the talismans he uses to protect the eye hanging from his ears.

"Hokage-sama and … Tsuchikage-sama, I must admit I am surprised by your presence here," Mei announced, blinking in surprise at the sight of the Tsuchikage and Han-san. "I had heard of your alliance, but I didn't think you would be here as well."

"Considering how the brat that's wearing the kage hat in your country is acting, I would rather nip this in the bud before it becomes too dangerous," Onoki commented wryly in response, looking the two rebels over carefully. "I recognize the both of you, Mei Terumi, one of the _very_ few to ever possess _two_ kekkei genkai, and Ao, a man who managed to implant a _working_ Byakugan."

I glanced over to Sarutobi-sama who was remaining stoic, not even twitching at Onoki's announcement, before turning my gaze back to the pair.

"So, what exactly is it you are hoping for with this meeting, Terumi-san?" Sarutobi-sama questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Assistance," Terumi-san announced firmly. "As we are right now, the rebels cannot attain victory against Yagura's loyalist faction."

"And what exactly would _we_ get out of assisting you?" Onoki questioned, an irritated frown on his face. "Even if we don't agree with his actions, he still has yet to have done anything to our nation's, and our Daimyo will question our decision."

Terumi-san swallowed tightly as she took in a careful breath. "If we succeed in killing Yagura and take control of Kirigakure, we will be willing to sign a full alliance treaty with your nations and several high level jutsu scrolls," she informed, her lips a thin line as Sarutobi-sama and Onoki looked at her impassively. "We are also authorized by the Daimyo to offer trade treaties as well as favored nation status with Mizu no Kuni."

The two kage's shared a long look with one another, communicating through extremely subtle gestures that I only caught thanks to my long association with Sarutobi-sama. All in all… this could be _highly_ valuable to our nations, namely Hi no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni. The question was, would it be worth the manpower?

"That is agreeable," Sarutobi-sama announced, Terumi-san sagging lightly in relief as Ao closed his visible eye briefly. "For the time being we will be sending Yuriko-chan and Han-san to give us a more accurate summation of what will be needed."

I didn't even twitch at his announcement, simply turned my eyes to Han-san for a brief moment before turning back to my leader for my orders.

"Just the two of them?" Ao voiced, bringing my attention to him. "Sure, she might be a halfway decent Iryo-nin and he might be a decent taijutsu specialist, but we _need_ strong shinobi, not your cast off-"

"I would advise you shut your mouth before you say something to ruin _any_ chance of getting _any_ assistance, Ao-san," I spoke up, cutting him off, turning to him I gave him an obviously false smile. "Or did the fact that I nearly killed more than half of the first iteration of your vaunted Seven Swordsmen go over your head? Watch your tongue."

Ao looked ready to speak again before I decided to nip it in the bud and flared my sharingan to life and let out a surge of my Intent to Kill.

In simple words, basically, I took all of those dark, furious emotions that I've experienced in my life, and focused them _all_ onto Ao-san. And I've had a _lot_ of experiences that have made me angry in the past. There was also the fact the users chakra level had an effect on the pressure it created, and my [ **Gamer** ] power quantifies my chakra points as 37,900, which is the _most_ I have seen outside of Roshi and Han-san, who both had around 40,000 CP each thanks to their Jinchuuriki status.

When the pressure was presented to someone, it struggles against their chakra to affect them, and considering my most _definitely_ dwarfed Ao-san's, it really wasn't surprising that he collapsed to his knees from the pressure my Intent pressed onto him. "I didn't earn an _S-ranking_ in the bingo book for my ability to heal my allies," I hissed at him dangerously, my base sharingan eyes spinning furiously. "I wasn't made the leader of my clan simply because I am able to heal them, the Daimyo doesn't have me on his short list because I am a _decent_ Iryo-nin, Ao-san. I am the Sword-Scalpel of Konohagakure, and during the Third War, I have killed _many_ people, ask _them_ if I am _just_ a _decent_ Iryo-nin."

"I think he gets the point, Yuriko-chan," Sarutobi-sama announced, cutting my pressure short as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Of course, Sarutobi-sama," I replied, dismissing my sharingan as I stepped back in line with Han-san.

"My apologies for my subordinate's careless words," Terumi-san said with a small bow to the two of us. "He has a tendency to speak without thinking."

"I'm sorry for my overreaction," I replied, bowing politely to the rebel leader. "My temper has a tendency to get the better of me from time to time."

Sarutobi-sama let out an odd sound that sounded like he was trying to cover a laugh with some coughing as he looked away, covering his mouth with his hand as his shoulders shook a bit.

"Temper… getting the better of you? _Never_ ," Han-san quipped sarcastically getting an elbow from me as he chuckled.

Sarutobi-sama coughed, as he recovered his composure and looked at me carefully. "Please send word when you arrive as to the rebel base and you have assessed what they need," he instructed me sternly, getting a nod in return as Onoki addressed Han-san.

"You have one job, ensure Yuriko survives," the Tsuchikage announced, getting a raised eyebrow from me, I could protect myself thank you very much! "If that brat Yagura learns of her presence, he may decide to go after her in person while in full Bijuu mode," well… I _guess_ I would need some help with that.

"Sarutobi-sama, could you send word to Jiraiya-sama?" I questioned him lowly. "I may need his help if we need to reseal the Sanbi after Yagura is killed."

"I'll send word to him as soon as I return," he promised me with a small smile, patting my arm. "Take care of yourself while you are in Mizu no Kuni, I expect you to return in one piece."

I smiled at my leader confidently. "Of course I will, Sarutobi-sama," I assured him. "I'll be back before you know it and annoying you with my daily visits."

The elderly leader chuckled in amusement as he nodded and stepped back. "Right then, your updated mission begins now, you are to travel to Mizu no Kuni and assist the rebels with taking control of Kirigakure from the current Mizukage Yagura," he instructed professionally. "Upon your arrival and assessment of the rebel base and forces we will send reinforcements depending on your report."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," I replied in a professional manner, saluting with Han-san.

The two Kage nodded to us, allowing us to follow Terumi-san and Ao-san towards Mizu no Kuni.

The journey was a rather quiet one, our two guides were tense as we travelled, their eyes constantly darting around nervously at every little sound. They were apparently very nervous about getting ambushed by a group of loyalist faction hunter-nin, which to be fair, would be a valid reason to be nervous.

Especially since they _did_ ambush us.

My kodachi blocked an incoming ninjato before my chakra scalpel enveloped hand slashed along his chest, severing several blood vessels from his heart, and left him to collapse to the ground, gasping for breath as he clutched at his chest.

My sharingan swept the area, Han-san was currently occupied with a pair of hunter-nin, blasts of steam boiling their exposed skin every time he connected a fist on their body. Meanwhile Terumi-san was doing her best to dodge a number of water based whips alongside Ao-san as a group of hunters tried to capture the two of them.

Frowning a bit, I was tempted to break out my [ **Susano'o** ] and end the battle then and there, but I shook it off for the time being, it wouldn't do to be over reliant on my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, after all, it was only _one_ aspect of my strength.

Not to mention the god complex my eyes seem to be trying to give me.

Three of the eight hunter-nin trying capture the pair were forced to break away from their quarry as I launched a [ **Great Fireball** ] at them and forcing them onto the ground as I completed a new set of seals.

Fun fact: Having 'ownership' of **Amenonuhoko** granted me a Natural Earth Affinity, one just as strong as my fire affinity, meaning, once I had it trained up, I was able to break out some very _impressive_ earth ninjutsu. "[ **Earth Release: Earth Flow Wave** ]!" I announced as the earth before me began to rise up in a wave towards the three hunter-nin who had just landed.

The wave hadn't even completely impacted against them before my next set of seals was completed. "[ **Earth Release: Violent Heavenly Earth Needle** ]!" the already muffled screams of the buried hunter-nin were cut short as they were each stabbed by several large needles of dirt in their vital organs.

 **You have killed four Kiri Hunter-Nin(Loyalist Faction)!  
+4,000 EXP and 12,000 Ryo gained, 3 [Standard Issue Ninjato], 25 [High Quality Kunai], 15 [Chakra Conductive Metal Shuriken], [Water Release: Explosive Water Wave] jutsu scroll looted and stored in inventory.**

I ignored the popup, only sparing it the briefest of glances before moving on to my next target as the hunters seemed to be completely focused on Terumi-san and Ao-san who were now able to begin to counter attack with almost half of their attackers dealt with.

I had to admit, when compared to my husband's, Terumi-san's lava release fell… rather short of impressing me.

Don't get me wrong, she was impressive with her skill in using it, especially in combination with her Boil Release, but… then again, it isn't that surprising considering that my husband is capable of creating _literal_ volcanoes with his stronger jutsus, the few missions we _had_ been sent on together often resulted in a massive change in the region when it came to how the maps were drawn, thankfully we haven't _permanently_ made an active volcano… _yet_.

The remaining hunter-nin quickly fell under our combined attacks, soon leaving us as the only living people in the immediate area as I began to manipulate the earth to bury the bodies.

"Well, I suppose that was our official welcoming party," Han-san commented with a small chuckle.

I smirked back at him as the bodies began to sink into the earth. "Indeed, we should be sure to repay them for their kind welcome," I replied with a beatific smile.

"Is it just me, or are Konoha Iryo-nin scarier than Kiri's?" Ao-san questioned aloud, sounding like he was speaking more to himself than any of us.

"Ao-san, if you don't think _any_ Iryo-nin is scary, then I pity you," Han-san pointed out. "They know the limits of the human body better than anyone else, and how to make it tick in _any_ way they want."

I turned and smiled at the Kiri Shinobi at Han-san's words, making the man even more disturbed as Terumi-san giggled and Han-san chuckled in amusement.

"Thankfully, an entrance to our hidden base isn't too far from here," Terumi-san announced as she began to lead the way.

I kept a watch with Ao-san, who was using his implanted byakugan while I was using my sharingan to scan for anyone watching us, thankfully there were none, that we couldn't see anyways.

The base itself was hidden under several high level genjutsu and land altering seals to keep them hidden along with a perpetual mist. Really, it made good use of the natural land and environment to keep it hidden from the loyalist forces with only a handful of entrances under heavy guard.

Han-san and I _definitely_ had the attention of nearly everyone in the camp, not just being foreign shinobi, but also the promise of help from _two_ of the other four Great Shinobi Nations.

"Han-san, can you go with Ao-san and assess their available troops?" I questioned the Gobi Jinchuuriki who nodded in confirmation.

"I need to assess your hospital and Iryo-nin," I informed Terumi-san as I turned to her. "While we are doing that I would like to know more about the situation in Mizu no Kuni."

"Of course, this way please," Terumi-san confirmed as she turned to guide me to their improvised hospital, a _very_ basic building that looks like it was erected using Earth ninjutsu. "Unfortunately, because of the fact we have to be ready to move our location if needed, our facilities are not the greatest."

"Understandable," I assured as we entered, my eyes scanning everything as Iryo-nin didn't even look up as we entered as they bustled around, tending to the wounded and injured. "Adequate for a forward operating base, going to request more medics," I noted, more to myself as I moved, my eyes darting left and right rapidly.

Our inspection was cut short as more injured were brought in in a severe hurry. "Hachi's losing blood fast!" one of the men shouted desperately. "He's going to die soon."

Several of the medics looked at one another, I knew what they were thinking, even just from looking, he has lost a _lot_ of blood and from the looks of the wound, his heart had been damaged, for most in the medical profession… it was impossible to heal.

But, I was not most.

"Bring him to an open operating room," I announced calmly, stepping forward, my hand snatching up a pair of surgical gloves as I moved. "You," I pointed to a man who was marking things on a clipboard. "Keep him alive while I'm prepping, I will be in shortly."

They all turned to Terumi-san uncertainty. "What are you waiting for, _move_!" I barked out impatiently, my - as Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun called it - 'Clan Head' voice coming to the forefront, my sharingan flashing to life. "A man's dying here!"

"Y-yes!" they stammered out as they quickly followed my orders, Terumi-san blinking in surprise at how quickly I took control of the situation.

"Impressive," she murmured, following as I moved to a sink to begin washing my arms free of any dirt, grime and some blood from our earlier battle.

"Wouldn't be the first time I had to deal with belligerent Iryo-nin," I announced as I placed my kodachi on a nearby counter and pulled on one of the smocks most Iryo-nin used for the operation. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have an operation."

"Of course," Terumi-san allowed with a smile and nod as I entered an operating room.

"Sitrep," I commanded as I entered.

"He is on death door," the medic I assigned to keeping him alive informed me as he tried to clean up the injury enough for operating on. "His heart is heavily damaged and bleeding a large amount, he can't be-"

"He can," I announced in a calm tone as I stepped up to the table and placed a glowing hand on the patient's forehead. "Do you know the [ **Blood Circulation** ] technique?" I questioned, the man nodding quickly. "Keep the blood circulating as best as you can, focus on his brain to keep it active and to prevent as much brain damage as possible."

"R-right," the medic stammered before he formed some hand seals and placed them on the man's head in place of my own, allowing me to focus solely on his primary injury.

"Get me a pig's heart!" I shouted out of the room. "I need to make some skin grafts!"

"Right away!" a shinobi shouted before scampering off.

"I need… AB- blood for this man!" I shouted, quickly pulling his blood type from a medical scan as I began pulling away some damaged skin from the chest to so that I could operate on the heart. "Wind Chakra was used to create the wound," I murmured, noting the damage that has been inflicted. "Going to have to remove some parts for transplanting."

"I have the heart!" the shinobi from earlier shouted, bringing what looked like a fresh pig's heart.

"You! Make yourself useful and clean it!" I shouted to a nearby assistant who was staring wide eyed as I operated.

"Yes! Ma'am!" the young woman shouted rapidly before accepting the heart and set about cleaning it.

I redirected the flow of blood from the damaged areas as I waited, the man had lost nearly 4 litres of blood, so that made it easier to redirect his blood at least as his labored breathing oxygenated his blood. "Where is the blood!" I shouted angrily.

"Here!" Terumi-san announced calmly as she walked into the room clad in a healer's smock and her hair pulled into a severe ponytail, not a single hair in her face or threatening to fall out, several sacs of blood in her hand.

"The heart is ready!" the assistant called out.

"Help Terumi-san with prepping the blood for transfer," I instructed as a cart with the heart on it was rolled next to me. I pulled one of my hands away from the opening in the man's chest as I used a sealless chakra scalpel to begin surgically cutting the pig's heart for the parts I needed, splitting my attention with circulating the blood away from the damaged sections. "Do not start transferring most of the blood until I have repaired his heart."

"Understood," the medics chorused obediently.

I blinked when a dry towel wiped away the sweat from my brow, sparing a brief glance to a new medic that joined the group before focusing once more on the man before me. "Parts are ready for transplant, removing damaged sections now," I announced as I quickly cut out the damaged valve and skin, my new assistant taking the damaged parts for disposal from me before I began to graft the new parts onto his heart.

It was close, _very_ close, but once the new parts where in place I was able to start having the blood circulate normally again as the replacement blood was added, the man's pale complexion slowly returning to a more healthy shade. "He is out of danger now," I announced, several cheers being heard from outside of the operating room as I began closing up his chest and healing the rest of his wounds.

"Yuriko-sama, I can finish this," the medic I had initially commandeered informed. "If you can… there are more who need your help."

"Very well," I allowed, stepping back to allow the man to take over the healing and turned to the woman who had ended up being my assistant. "Show me the most critically wounded."

"Right this way, Yuriko-sama," the woman informed, leading the way back into the main area.

It may be a different country, there may be strangers, but… I was in my element, and I think I just took over the hospital of the Kirigakure Rebels.

Oh well, probably won't be the last time I do such a thing.

For now, I had people to save.

"Long day, Yuriko- _sama_ ," Han-san questioned teasingly as I entered our assigned quarters, basically a larger than normal tent with actual beds rather than cots.

Ever since my first surgery, which apparently spread through the camp like wildfire, the medics had begun to insistently call me '-sama' at all times, and it's been nearly 10 hours since that first surgery, with several more following it as I worked through the critically injured men and woman of the rebellion.

"Don't you start with that too," I told him sternly before letting out a sigh. "We _definitely_ need medical supplies and a couple of medic squads. How do their troops look?"

"Not terribly, a _lot_ of versatility with their assorted Kekkei Genkai users," Han-san informed with a shrug. "But… it's a lot of specialists and not enough regular troops, and they don't coordinate very well either, I heard a debrief where they ended up attacking _each other_ rather than the enemy they were targeting."

I let out a small groan of frustration as I began writing out my report to the kage's. "Right, so we need the whole shebang," I commented with a heavy sigh. "But, they got a decent infrastructure here, just needs some polishing."

Han-san raised an eyebrow in response before shrugging it off. "Quite a bit of polish, but hey," he commented carelessly. "How we getting the report back?"

"One of my summons," I announced with a playful grin, getting a raised eyebrow from him.

"Oh? Managed to secure one for yourself?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, found it one of the training grounds we use to help Naruto-kun train with Kurama's chakra," I explained as I finished the report for our leaders, it was a rather short and to the point, but I wasn't really in the mood to flourish it up, they they _really_ needed to flourish it up for the Daimyo they knew how I wrote and could mimic my handwriting.

I bit into my thumb and drew out a bit of blood before forming a set of seals. "[ **Summoning Technique** ]," I announced as I pressed a hand to the ground, causing a plume of smoke to erupt from under my hand that quickly cleared away to reveal a falcon the size of a small child. "Hello, Soyokaze," I greeted the messenger falcon with a smile.

" **Yuriko-sama,** " the falcon returned formally, bowing his head in deference. " **You have a message for me to deliver?** "

"I do," I confirmed, holding out the scroll I wrote it out on. "Take this to Sarutobi-sama and wait for his reply, please."

" **Of course, Yuriko-sama,** " Soyokaze assured, bowing again before taking the message in one of his talons. " **I shall return post haste.** "

"Be careful, we are in hostile territory and the enemy may try and bring you down to prevent messages from getting out," I warned the falcon with concerned look.

" **I thank you for your concern, Yuriko-sama, but I shall be fine,** " the falcon assured as he bowed a final time before walking out of the room. " **I shall return tomorrow evening at the latest.** "

"Very well, fly safe," I told the falcon before it took to the air with a mighty flap of his wings and angled himself towards Konohagakure and headed home.

"Well, now that that's done, I'm crashing for the night," I announced to Han-san who chuckled in amusement. "Night."

"See you in the morning," Han-san replied in amusement as he began to pull off his armor. I just simply flopped onto my assigned bed and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the long hours of surgeries and directing Iryo-nin.

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 75  
 **EXP** : 7,547/37,500 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current - Former  
HP - **9,125 **-  
CP -** 37,900 **-**  
 **STR -** 95 (166) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 90 (135) **  
WIS -** 135 (202) **  
LUK -** 41 (61) **-** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 36,590,254 - 25,542,153


	21. Chapter 19: Battle Against Monsters

**AN: First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I hope you all are having a good one and are staying warm, well… warmer than the negative 21 degrees celcius here in Edmonton…**

…

 **Anyways! Thank you all for reading Ninja Gamer, and any other fics that I write, I just wanted to take a moment to let you all know that I made a Pa/treon page (Why do you block that word, FFN?) to help supplement my… non existent paycheque… ain't it great to be unemployed?**

 **Anyways, I'm not expecting a massive amount, and I don't really have many rewards I can give, but there are** _ **some**_ **things, so please… at least check it out and thank you in advance for any donations.**

 **pa/treon dot c/o/m / DragonKnightRyu**

* * *

I let out a small sigh as I pulled off the covering I had over my hair and freed it from its bun, allowing my hair to fall free. In the operating room behind me, several nurses applied the final touches to the man who had one of his lungs collapse from a kunai strike.

"Yuriko-sama!" A messenger shouted as I began pulling off my surgical clothing. "Mei-sama is requesting your presence at the war tent as soon as you are free."

"I'll be there as soon as I clean up," I assured as I began to splash some water on my sweaty face to clean it up, while the surgery was fairly clean - for a surgery - I was _very_ sweaty from the level of concentration I needed for my healing ninjutsu while also managing the doctors and nurses assisting me.

I didn't take too long, however, as I simply freshened myself up enough to be presentable and made my way to the war tent in the center of the camp.

The war tent itself wasn't anything special as it was basically a large tent with a massive table map of Kirigakure that were marked with troop positions. "Apologies if I kept you waiting," I said as I walked in, my eyes darting around the tent to see Terumi-san, Ao-san, Han-san and an assortment of rebel jonin.

"It is alright," Terumi-san assured with a smile. "I understand that you are often busy directing the surgeries and teaching our healers."

I nodded in confirmation as I stepped up to the table and took a look down at it. It wasn't all that pretty of a picture to be honest, the rebels only had a grand total of _three_ strongholds, including the main base, while the Loyalists had control of most of the country.

How the _hell_ had the Kiri Rebels turned such a hopeless situation around in the original timeline? Not much information had been given about the end of the Bloodline Civil War in the anime, aside from the fact that Yagura had been killed at the end of it. Outnumbered, undersupplied, with dispirite and ill-functioning soldiers, against the fanatics of the Anti-Bloodline Loyalist Faction under Yagura Karatachi, the Hero of the Kaguya Revolt and the Jinchuuriki of Isobu, the Three-Tailed Giant Turtle.

Talk about a forlorn hope.

I listened to Terumi-san outline the operation they wanted to undergo to capture a stronghold closer to the border with the mainland to make the arrival of the reinforcements from Iwa and Konoha easier and without as much conflict to allow for safer landing on the island nation.

The plan itself was a fairly simple one, with the weather shifting in Mizu no Kuni, there will be a larger influx of mist allowing us to get closer to the base without being detected with us suppressing our chakra so that their sensors couldn't find us in the mist.

On paper the plan was simple and straightforward.

But… well… we _all_ knew plans never survived contact with the enemy. Especially in this world.

So for backups, Han will be waiting separately from the main group with a small group of elites in case heavy firepower was needed, plus it was harder for him to keep his chakra suppressed due to his nature as a jinchuuriki, not that our allies were aware of it just yet. I wasn't sure how they'd react to a Jinchuuriki when they were fighting an 'insane' one, so Han-san was keeping Kokuo-san under wraps for the moment.

I was joining the infiltration force, which I suppose made sense, my own level of chakra control, bring a medic, was very high meaning I could almost make myself invisible to chakra sensors, although it was rather… uncomfortable to do so. Suppressing chakra was like… removing your third arm… or your fourth eye, _very_ hard to describe.

Still, the plan was solid and we had a good idea on the troops deployed at the base, so after an hour of gathering supplies and equipment a sizable detachment left alongside the 'command' group, making our way to the base.

* * *

The plan was going well… a bit _too_ well in my honest opinion. Honestly, the last time an operation started off this well, I ended up having to fight five A-ranked jonins while Roshi was hip deep in a large number of chunin ranked enemies.

Yeah… something was going to happen.

I was next to Terumi-san and Ao-san, leading a small group of Jonin as we approached the walls of the stronghold, Ao-san and myself on the lookout for anything trying to sneak up on _us_.

All seemed to be going well… right up until a _massive_ surge of chakra washed over us, causing the knees of a couple of the more inexperienced members to buckle.

"Oh _shit_ , KISAME!" Ao-san shouted out _seconds_ before the blue skinned future member of the Akatsuki came charging out of the mist with Samehada in hand and a wild grin on his face.

"Go!" I shouted to the other members of the team as I charged back at him, blocking the sharkskin sword with my kodachi, straining to match the man's monstrous strength with my own, and _losing_. "I'll deal with him!"

Kisame-san chuckled in amusement as he broke away and rested the covered Samehada on his shoulder. "Oh? Konoha's Bloody Scalpel will _deal_ with me?" he asked in amusement. "Sure it's not going to be the other way around?"

* * *

 **QUEST UPDATE!**

 **Defeat Kisame Hoshigaki!**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Repel Kisame Hoshigaki and prevent him from attacking members of the Kirigakure Rebellion**

 **Reward  
+20,000 EXP, 25,000 Ryo, +5,000 Reputation with Kirigakure Rebels, +1,000 Reputation with Kisame Hoshigaki**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Kill Kisame Hoshigaki**

 **Reward  
+30,000 EXP, +1,250,000 Ryo, +5,000 Reputation with Kirigakure Rebels**

* * *

I gave him a simple smile in response as my sharingan _morphed_ into its evolved form, making Kisame-san blink in surprise as it changed. "Who know, but, where are my manners, it is a pleasure to meet you, Kisame Hoshigaki-san, Monster of the Bloody Mist," I greeted him politely, getting another surprised look from him. "I am Yuriko Uchiha, the Sword-Scalpel of Konoha, I much prefer _that_ title to my other one."

Kisame-san chuckled across from me, an amused grin on his face as his muscles began to tense up. "Well now, isn't that interesting?" he questioned, his grin widening in anticipation. "A polite ninja, and with no smack talk with about how I look? So refreshing."

I chuckled lowly in agreement as I tensed myself for combat. "Well, it would be rather hypocritical of me to make fun of you appearance, not to mention being _very_ unladylike," I replied, sensing the last of the infiltration team managing to get out of the area. "What with my mutated eyes and all that."

I was rather surprised by the honest laughter that came out of Kisame-san's mouth at my proclamation. "And a humble Uchiha to boot!" He crowed cheerfully. "Today is just _full_ of surprises!"

"Well, I suppose I must thank you for allowing me to wait for my allies to leave the area before we began trying to kill each other," I commented with a small, playful, sigh. "That was rather polite of you."

"With those scary eyes of yours watching my every move?" Kisame countered, his grin widening and an aura of bloodlust beginning to fill the area. "More like I was acting out of self preservation because of that scary aura you are putting out."

A smile graced my lips as I countered his bloodlust with my own. "Still, it is only the polite thing to do," I said in response. "But, I suppose we must do our best to try and kill each other now, prepare yourself, Kisame-san, I will be doing my best to remove your head from your body in the most painless way possible."

"I look forward to seeing you try," Kisame-san replied as I got into a stance, Samehada held at the ready.

Not even a heartbeat passed before violence erupted in the clearing as I charged at Kisame-san with my [ **Inaba Flicker** ] technique to vanish from his eyesight only for him to prove his S-ranking threat as he managed to get Samehada in place to prevent my kodachi from reaching his neck.

I didn't bother to engage in a contest of strength with Kisame-san as I leapt away from him, he's already proven to be stronger than me physically, so to try and turn this into a contest of pure strength would be the height of stupidity.

Although Kisame-san didn't seem to want to make _my_ job very easy as he charged after me, while not as fast as myself, he _definitely_ proved he was still agile by keep pace with my unenhanced speed enough to swing his sentient sword at me with enough force that even with me blocking, I was still sent flying back into a tree, my kodachi spiralling away from me to impact into another tree.

I didn't pause to recover the breath that was forced out of me as I forced my body to move out of the way of Samehada as Kisame-san swung for my head. Gritting my teeth, I closed in with Kisame till there were scant inches between us before slamming my fist into his sternum and began executing a basic combo against him.

While I was not even the best Uchiha at Taijutsu, Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu having always taken priority for me, that _didn't_ mean I wasn't able to hold my own. I proved _that_ to Kisame-san as I drove my elbow into his solar plexus, forcing him to bend over before driving my hand into his temple, only for the man to vanish in a puff of smoke and my hand to shatter a log instead.

Reacting purely on instinct I threw myself forward, feeling the scales of Samehada pull at the ends of my hair as I rolled away, right next to my kodachi that I quickly pulled free from the tree, watching Kisame-san carefully as he rubbed at his stomach.

"That's gonna bruise in the morning," he grunted with a cheeky grin, showing off the row of sharpened teeth.

"Well, that is the point of fighting I suppose, to leave an _impact_ on one another," I commented with a small giggle, getting a chuckle from the 'Tailless Bijuu'.

"True enough, ready for the next level?" he asked me.

"Oh, I believe I am, the question is, are you?" I countered cheerfully, unable to help myself with enjoying the true test of my hard earned skills and experience.

Kisame-san's response was simple, a single handseal before I found a shark made of water erupting from the mist surrounding us and trying to _literally_ bite my head off.

In response to the new threat, I activated [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] along the blade of [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] and used it to bisect the chakra construct before forming a single seal and spitting out a [ **Great Fireball** ] at Kisame-san.

Samehada was swung up in response, mimicking my action as he bisected the fireball, Samehada absorbing the chakra allowing him to disperse the chakra flames without harming him. But, it did have the effect of momentarily blocking his vision.

A heartbeat and nothing more, and for normal people, a heartbeat would not be enough time to take action.

I was _not_ a normal person, not anymore.

A heartbeat was all I needed to partially manifest my [ **Susano'o** ]'s rib cage and arms, yes, it was a risky prospect using a chakra construct against Samehada, but, I couldn't afford to hold back against Kisame-san, and that meant I needed to break out **Amenonuhoko**.

Kisame-san's eyes widened in surprise as he witnessed my chakra construct before grinning widely as Samehada vibrated in his grasp. "Yeah… that thing is making Samehada hungry," he proclaimed eagerly as more of the wrappings fell away.

I smiled a bit at him as my eyes began to throb from the strain of [ **Susano'o** ]. "Perhaps," I commented gently. " _If_ you can reach me, that is."

Kisame tilted his head a bit in confusion before the earth _changed_.

I dropped the earth from underneath him, creating a chasm for him to fall down.

The handle of Samehada extended as he embed it into the wall of the chasm and flipped himself out of it before they closed in on him with a teeth rattling crash.

I didn't let him recover or question how such a thing was possible as I shifted the earth under him into a set of spikes that rose up to meet him as I began forming a set of seals, splitting my attention between the seals and the powers of **Amenonuhoko**.

"[ **Fire Release: Heaven Quenching Flame** ]!" I announced as my chakra surged before the world around me erupted into flame. The jutsu used my chakra as a medium to _start_ the fire, after that, it only used a minimum to _control_ the fire, masters of this could set fire to a square _mile_ of land.

I may not be able to claim _masterty_ of this jutsu… but I _can_ cheat.

Walls erupted around us, trapping the flames in the immediate area as I rose myself above them, channeling chakra to my lungs to filter the ash and smoke from the flames as my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan eyes spun.

"[ **Fire Release: Heaven Quenching Flame** ]!" my voice echoed seven times as [ **Kamiyonanayo** ] activated several times, [ **Ame-no Ukihashi** ] concentrating the flames around Kisame-san who was looking rather slack jawed.

I was forced to close my eyes as the result flame was too bright to look at and the heat forced me to enclose myself in an orb of earth lest I burn myself.

Panting, I folded the earth walls on top of the flames, burying them to quench the flames. Once they were gone I dropped the earthen orb that was protecting me, sweat dripping from my body as the lingering heat evaporated the mist that had been gathering, up above storm clouds had formed from the sudden increase of hot air and water in the atmosphere, my eyes darting around as I searched for _any_ sign of Kisame-san.

The only warning I had of his survival was the whistling of the wind seconds before Samehada slammed into my spine after tearing through my chakra construct, [ **Susano'o** ] being disrupted by Samehada's absorbing qualities and the sheer strength behind it made short work of the protective construct, the impact of Samehada against my spine popped one of my vertebrae out of alignment as the scales of the sword tore away at my flesh.

Yes, it was just as painful as it sounded, even _more_ so actually since the force of the blow sent me spiralling to the ground from my elevated position. My return to ground level was a quick one, and the pain of having my one of my vertebrae forced out of alignment distracted me enough that I couldn't even try and use a jutsu to soften my _incredibly_ hard landed on the altered landscape.

I bit my cheek to prevent me from screaming in pain as my landing broke my left arm, all the same I pushed myself using my right arm, to roll onto my side, my legs flopping uselessly as they were no longer getting a signal from my brain due to my broken spine.

"By the kami… you are one _scary_ woman," Kisame-san said as he landed within my line of sight, his stumbling showing off just how much I had hurt him, Samehada looked like it was whimpering a bit in pain as several scorch marks covered the both of them, Kisame-san's uniform mostly burned away at this point. "The first one alone was enough to make me panic, but _seven_ more!? Kami…" he took his eyes away from me to scan the destroyed wasteland that was now shifted earth, ash, smoke and utterly destroyed trees. "You _wrecked_ this landscape."

Taking advantage of his distracted state I brought my right hand around to my back with healing chakra covering my hand and placed it where my displaced vertebrae was and began resetting it, gritting my teeth tightly as I tried to keep myself from screaming in pain.

"I mean… aren't you supposed to be a _medic_?" Kisame-san questioned, still looking like he was in shock. "Seriously, I thought you Konoha medics were rear liners."

"I'm not a _support_ medic," I grunted out, forcing a grin onto my face as my spine snapped back into place with an audible popping sounds as feeling rushed back into my legs as I reconnected the nerve endings, it wasn't perfect, but it would be enough for now. "I'm a _battle_ medic."

His eyes widened in surprise as I suddenly stood up in front of him, staggering a bit as I stood up. "Holy… _fuck_ ," he breathed out. "You are the _first_ person I've ever seen stand back up after having their _spine_ broken."

I let out a small laugh. "Always nice to be remarkable," I said in amusement as I gripped my kodachi. "I have to say, I didn't think it was even _possible_ to survive _eight_ S-ranked fire ninjutsu at once."

"Well now, that… that was only because of Samehada," Kisame-san admitted with a weak chuckle. "Quite honestly, I _would_ have died to that without it."

"I guess we're _both_ remarkable then," I commented with a smile, healing my broken arm.

"Heh, yeah, I suppose we are," Kisame-san remarked with a grin of his own as he got into another stance. "Ready to finish this little scuffle?"

I let out a small snort in response as my eyes darted around the clearing. "Some scuffle," I muttered as I saw the devastation _I_ caused. "But yes, I do think it's time we wrapped this up."

There was no warning from either of us as we suddenly charged at one another, no cleaver plans, no overpowered ninjutsu, just simply trying to cut one another, our bodies too battered to be able to do much else. Even with Samehada, it seemed that Kisame-san had a limit to the regeneration he had, much like I was limited how much I could heal myself in the middle of pitched combat.

Still, I didn't make it easy for Samehada to absorb my chakra as I didn't manifest any of my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] variants, trusting my kodachi to at least be able to deflect the weapon from me.

Kisame-san grunted in pain as my foot slammed into the side of his head as I used the momentum from a missed sword swing to spin my body into the air. His free hand wrapped around the ankle of the foot that hit him before using his monstrous strength to toss me aside before trying to drop Samehada onto my head.

I was able to get [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] up in time and braced my free hand on the back of the kodachi to stop the descent of Samehada. But, while the scaled sword was halted momentarily, the sound of metal cracking filled my ears as my kodachi began to break.

The sadistic grin on Kisame-san's face told me he heard it as well as he began to press down against me, [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] breaking further, second before the blade shattered, I managed to force Kisame-san off of me with a low blow.

Literally, I kicked him in the balls.

Don't look at me like that! I'm a goddamn shinobi, I'm _supposed_ to do shit like that!

The action was enough to get Kisame-san off of me as his eagerness for my blood seemed to have dropped his guard enough for my foot to reach between his legs.

The pain of the action was enough of a distraction to throw him off of me, the rough jostling of pushing against Samehada being the final straw that shattered [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ]. Fragments of the metal littered the ground as I reluctantly tossed the handle of the now useless kodachi away as I got to my feet and made some distance between myself and Kisame-san.

"Ow," Kisame-san gasped as he recovered himself and glared at me angrily. "Dammit woman. I _hate it_ when you Kunoichi do that!"

"Well what do you expect us to do when you're towering over us!" I shouted back as I panted for breath, trying to figure out a way out of this mess, taking Kisame-san on unarmed was _not_ on my list of 'things I want to do'.

Fortunately it seemed like Kisame-san was just wary about engaging me as I was him as we circled the destroyed clearing, the sounds of combat inside of the stronghold were beginning to die down, the question was… who was winning?

Kisame-san seemed to be wondering the same thing sending a small frown towards the stronghold while his eyes darted around, trying to see if there was anybody approaching our battlezone.

And someone was. "Yuriko-san!" Han-san shouted as he landed next to me, expelling some steam from the vents on his armor. "You alright?"

I gave him a relieved grin as he appeared. "Now that you're here, definitely," I confirmed, a few chuckles escaping my lips as I turned to Kisame-san with a wry grin on my face. "How about you, Kisame-san, how are you now that Han-san is here."

Kisame-san grunted as he exchanged looks between the two of us with narrowed eyes. "Yeah… I know when I need to leave," he said with a resigned sigh. "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day and all that jazz, later!"

Before the two of us could even react Kisame-san released a surge of chakra that summoned up a wave of mist, blocking our sight of him as he no doubt beat a hasty retreat from the two of us.

The two of us remained silent for several moments as the mist began to recede quickly, no doubt from the lack of chakra that had fueled it initially. Once the mist was gone and we were certain Kisame-san had left I let out a shuddering sigh of relief before dropping to my knees, my body shaking in pain and exhaustion. "My god… if I have to fight him again… it'll be too soon!"

"What happened?" Han-san questioned in concern as he knelt down to help support me, looking over my bloody and beaten body carefully.

"The asshole _broke my spine_!" I shouted in response, getting a confused look from Han-san. "I got better…" I offered with a weak smile as he stared at me.

"In the middle of a fight? With the Monster of the Blood Mist?" he questioned with a small amount of disbelief. "I think that's one for the record books, resetting your own spine in pitched battle to fight against Kisame Hoshigaki."

I groaned a bit as I leaned against him. "Whatever, we've secured the stronghold right?" I asked, getting a nod from confirmation from him. "Good, get me inside because I didn't finish setting it properly and now my back hurts _so much_."

Han-san chuckled a bit in response. "Can't say I know the feeling too be honest, but I'll take your word for it," he assured as he picked me up and support me as I regained my feet under me. "Come on, let's get you into shelter, looks like rain."

I decided not to say anything about how that _might_ be my fault.

* * *

It was strange, operating on myself, with an audience no less, working on finishing my spinal reset, while healing the damage my quite honestly _**stupid**_ decision caused me, the only other medic ninja we had brought with us assisting me as best as he could with his own limited abilities, granted… that was mostly setting up a set of mirrors so that I could see my own back and ensuring that I didn't lose _too_ much blood.

All the while Terumi-san and Ao-san were staring at me with shocked faces as they listened to my report on the battle - leaving out _how_ I managed to alter the battlefield so heavily in such a short time.

Apparently surviving and driving off Kisame-san was quite a feat to them, although considering his reputation… I don't blame them for that thought. Speaking of…

* * *

 **QUEST UPDATE!**

 **You have defeated Kisame Hoshigaki!**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Repel Kisame Hoshigaki and prevent him from attacking members of the Kirigakure Rebellion. - Completed!**

 **Reward  
+20,000 EXP, 25,000 Ryo, +5,000 Reputation with Kirigakure Rebels, +1,000 Reputation with Kisame Hoshigaki**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Kill Kisame Hoshigaki - Incomplete**

 **Reward  
+30,000 EXP, +1,250,000 Ryo, +5,000 Reputation with Kirigakure Rebels**

* * *

Huh… well, shame I didn't end the threat he represented here and now, but there wasn't anything I could do about it now. "So, what are our losses like?" I questioned, looking up at Terumi-san with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the mirrors that showed my spine, yikes, better fix the crack on the displaced vertebrae.

Terumi-san stared at me for several moments as she watched me operate on myself. "Uh… not as bad as they could have been with Kisame present," she said finally, snapping out of her funk. "With you keeping Kisame off of our backs, we only lost a handful of people."

I nodded in response to the information, relief filling my mind as I finished repairing the damage to my spine. "Alright… Aru-san, can you double check my work?" I questioned the medic who blinked.

"Ah, yes, of course, Yuriko-sama!" he replied quickly, moving in to look over my spine, there was a reason I selected Aru-san to join the mission, he wasn't a yes man who instantly agreed with everything I said, and he asked questions almost constantly when I didn't need absolute concentration, trying to learn as much as he could from me.

As he was looking over my work I turned back to Terumi-san. "And the ports? How are they, can we use them to land our reinforcements?" I asked her earnestly.

"Yes, the ports will work for the landing operations, I've already sent a messenger to get some more of our troops from the main base to help secure the area for the landing tonight," Terumi-san assured me.

I nodded a bit as I sighed, feeling Aru-san's healing chakra enter me and make several minor corrections before closing the opening that I needed to operate. "All good, Yuriko-sama," he announced as he began closing me up. "And I just want to say, that was stupid of you to not only reset your spine in such a manner, but to operate on yourself."

I winced a bit at his harsh words, but didn't refute them. "Unfortunately considering who I was fighting, I didn't really have a choice," I replied, reasoning out my choice. "And no offense to your growing skills, Aru-san, but you are _not_ ready for a full spinal operation."

The man sighed in response as he shook his head in exasperation. "Are all Konoha ninja insane?" he questioned to no one in particular.

"Yes."

"Possibly."

I looked over to Han-san who rose an eyebrow at me. "Try and refute me," he told me in defense of his definitive answer.

I grumbled in response, looking away as he smirked under his mask in victory. "So, Yuriko-sama, you are not to move from this bed until tomorrow evening," Aru-san announced in a firm voice, making me look over my shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow and a hard look. "I don't care if you think you're the Sage of Six Paths himself and you regenerated, you are _not_ leaving this bed for 24 hours. Han-san, can you make sure that happens?"

The jinchuriki nodded in agreement as he gave me a firm look that I _knew_ he copied from me when Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun got into something particularly stupid. "Fine," I grumped as I pouted at Han-san. "You can't stop me from reading my scrolls though!"

Han-san chuckled in amusement as he patted my head like I was a child. "Enjoy them," he told me teasingly, getting a twitch of my eye.

"Dick," I grumbled as I did just that and pulled a scroll Tsunade had written about several possible Iryojutsu ideas and started reading, allowing my body to relax as I trained my mind, next to me Han-san settled down and probably started speaking with Kokuo-san if I was reading the subtle twitches from his body right.

Just another day in the life of being a shinobi.

* * *

From the limited reports I got while I was on bed arrest, the landing operation of the reinforcements sent from Iwa and Konoha had went off _mostly_ well, the only hiccup being a squad of Loyalist Kiri ANBU that attacked the vessels while out at sea, causing us to lose a handful of shinobi, before they were successfully repelled.

Once that was done, though, the rest of the landing went off without a hitch and allowed the fresh troops onto the island nation and set up defenses for our new stronghold. I was able to grab a replacement for [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] from the supplies that were brought in with the reinforcements, but it was just an ordinary kodachi. No way could it stand up to Samehada or any of the other Seven Blades of the Mist for more than one strike.

Note to self: get better sword.

I spent a moment fantasizing about somehow finding Excalibur in this world before dismissing the thought, while it would be cool, it would be impossible to happen… unless Zelretch decided to fuck with me… and that was something I _didn't_ want.

"Yuriko-sama!" a voice shouted, drawing my attention over to them, turning I spotted Aru-san running over to me. "Terumi-san needs you at the command tent as soon as possible!"

I blinked at the hurriedness of his tone. "Very well, I shall make my way over there," I assured him with a smile. "Take a breath and calm down, Aru-san, it won't do to send yourself into a panic."

Aru-san followed my order and took in a calming breath before calming the tension in his body. "A medic cannot be in a panic in the middle of the main camp," I instructed him as I began walking towards the main camp. "If people see the medics running around like a bunch of headless chickens, then we have failed in reassuring them that we will take care of them."

"Right… of course," Aru-san breathed out, nodding in understanding as he straightened his posture and matched my stride, it was rather amusing, having a man at least five years my senior mimicking and learning from me.

"How are the injured doing?" I questioned as we walked towards the command tent.

"Mostly healed at this point," Aru-san reported calmly. "There are a few lingering ones, but nothing that requires your attention."

"Very well then," I replied, smirking a bit at his strange sense of pride.

The new command tent was much like the old one, actually… I think it _might_ be the same one, huh, but I was greeted with a much larger command staff with two more from both Konoha and Iwagakure, and I actually recognized the two from Konoha.

"YOUTHFUL GREETINGS TO YOU, YURIKO-SAN!"

Kinda hard not to recognize _one_ of them at any rate.

"Hello to you, Gai-san, might I ask you to tone your voice down while we are in such close quarters?" I requested the _very_ vocal jonin who blinked before chuckling a bit in embarrassment.

"Of course, my apologies, in my excitement I seemed to have forgotten where we are," the taijutsu master replied in a more normal tone of voice.

"So that's how you do it… huh," Hatake-san commented in surprise, looking up from his book in surprise.

"Hello to you as well, Hatake-san," I greeted the silver haired jonin who nodded to me in response, I was rather surprised that two high level jonin were participating in the Kirigakure campaign. "How have you been lately."

Hatake-san shrugged a bit as an answer as he turned back to his book.

A small cough from Terumi-san brought our attention away from each other and to where she stood before the war map. "IF everyone would mind stepping forward please?" Terumi-san requested politely. "I would like to begin discussing our next offensive."

We all exchanged solemn looks before approaching the map and waiting for her to begin her briefing.

"First, let me once again thank our allies from Iwagakure and Konohagakure for assisting us in our fight," the red-headed rebel announced, looking at the six of us: myself, Gai-san, Hatake-san, Han-san and two others I didn't recognize from Iwa. "Now… onto our plan, I wish to start making inroads to Kirigakure and force Yagura to come out and face us personally."

There was silence in the tent for several moments before a blond haired man from Iwa spoke up. "You want to start so soon?" he questioned for confirmation, sounding surprised. "We had only _just_ arrived here in Kiri…"

Terumi-san nodded in understanding. "I know, but this is a chance we may never get again," she announced with a firm voice. "The more we delay, the more forces we lose, and if we can pick the battleground, we could negate one of Yagura's greatest strengths, the Sanbi."

I could see where she was going with this. Isobu granted his Jinchuuriki exceptional control over Water Release, and that advantage was compounded if the battlefield was as full of water as most of Mizu no Kuni was. If the Rebels were able to draw Yagura into an area that _didn't_ give him that home-field advantage, it would still be a hard fight, but it would be far easier than what would otherwise be possible.

At times, I _really_ wish that Hashirama-sama had not chosen Bijuu that completely suited the counties to which they were to be sold to.

Han-san's eyes looked distant and the slight twitches he was making showed that Kokuo-san was talking to him. Hopefully to give him advice on how to fight a turtle the size of an island.

The rest of the session mostly consisted of finalizing our plans for the various attacks, team compositions, combat roles, basic outlines of plans. I was assigned to capture a base alongside Han-san and a mixed group of Jonin and chunin of all three groups present.

It was strange for me, being given command of a combat operation like this, I had been a jonin for _years_ now, but for the most part I was either the youngest jonin in the squad or operating solo. This time people were deferring to _me_ , and not from a medical standpoint like Aru-san.

But I had been leading my clan until this point, I _was_ ready for this. "Let's go get the squad then," I said with a small sigh to Han-san who nodded in assent, falling into step beside me.

We had a job to do after all.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 75  
 **EXP** : 27,547/37,500 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current - Former  
HP - **9,125 **-  
CP -** 37,900 **-**  
 **STR -** 95 (166) **-  
INT - **140 (210) **-  
DEX - **160 (280) **-  
VIT - **90 (135) **-  
WIS -**135 (202) **-  
LUK - **41 (61) **-**  
 **Ryo** \- 36,615,254 -


	22. Chapter 20: Battle against the Mizukage

I narrowed my sharingan eyes at the base below me, assorted loyalist shinobi moving around, busy with their daily routine as the sentries watched the misty forest surrounding the base for any movement.

Not a bad response, but I wasn't actually _in_ the forest.

"Eight sentries," I told the blond haired man next to me who wrote down everything I said. "One in each corner with another between them."

"Got it," the man replied, his pupiless blue eyes switching between the notebook he was writing in and the clay bird he was controlling, the tongues in the palms of his hands darting out momentarily. "Do you want to go lower, Yuriko-taicho?"

"That's alright, Shige-san," I assured him, flashing him a grin. "I can see them well enough for the most part, and if we go any lower we may end up in the range of their sensors."

It was an almost clear day in the Mizu no Kuni, thanks to the unseasonable rain that I had caused with my landscape altering fire ninjutsu during my fight with Kisame. The mist had been washed away with the rain temporarily, allowing me to use my current strategy to scout out the enemy's base.

Namely riding on the explosive clay bird my squad's demolition specialist - who was apparently from the same clan as Deidara - at a height that most, even with chakra powering their eyes, couldn't see at, but I, with my shargan, would be able to see perfectly.

"Y'know Taicho… it wouldn't take much effort for me just to drop a bunch of bombs on them from this height," Shige-san suggested with a wide, eager, grin… for the eighth time since the scouting mission began. "A single C2 would level the base and anyone in it!"

I spared the explosive happy man a grin. "That will be our plan B, Shige-san," I told him, not dismissing the idea entirely. "Unfortunately we need the base intact to keep our supply lines intact and healthy."

Shige-san let out a small despondent sigh in response, slumping his shoulders as he pouted. "Dammit, that sucks, I _finally_ got the C2 level explosives down _and_ I get sent out to a war zone, and I _don't_ get a chance to use them? Just not _fair_ ," the twenty-something jonin whined in complaint.

"Life's not fair unfortunately," I told him, unable to help the giggle that escaped from my throat at his enthusiasm. "But, hey, if my first plan doesn't work, we _will_ be using high explosives, just not to level the base."

Shige-san silent for a moment as he thought about it. "Y'know Taicho, if your husband _didn't_ scare the ever living _shit_ out of me, I would kiss you for that promise," he told me in absolute seriousness, looking over his shoulder at me.

I blinked at him before clapping a hand over my mouth to stifle the guwaffs of laughter bubbling up from within me at the thought so that I didn't inadvertently alert the base below to our presence.

"Yeah… that's what I thought would happen," Shige-san sighed as I tried to control my laughter. "I mean seriously, a guy like me with a woman like you? _Never_ going to happen."

I managed to get enough control over my laughter long enough to speak to Shige-san. "Keep your chin up, I'm sure you'll find someone," I tried to assure him through my giggles.

Shige-san rolled his eyes in response. "Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say," he groused with a pout.

"Come on, let's regroup with the others," I told the disgruntled jonin with an amused grin. "We have a plan to make."

"Still say we should just blow the base into the stratosphere," Shige-san grumbled, but followed my orders and banked the clay bird we were riding on.

Interacting with Shige-san made me ponder what was happening with Deidara-san right now, I wasn't quite sure on _why_ he left Iwagakure in the first place, but I don't think he had joined Akatsuki at this point as both Itachi and Kisame had been the ones to coerce Deidara into joining.

Did the alliance with Konoha change things for him? Did it make him want to leave even more? A sigh escaped my lips as I shook my head. It was no concern of mine right now, I had a job to do.

* * *

" _First sentry removed,_ " A Kiri rebel jonin announced over the radio as he took the man's place. " _Make your approach, don't know how long this will last._ "

"On approach," I whispered quietly in response as we began to close in on the base, our steps soft and our strides swift.

Our plan was _very_ simple, a Kiri Rebel on our team would take out one of the sentries quietly and temporarily take his place, allowing us a clear area of approach for our attack. Above us, Shige-san circled on his bird dropping small clay like spiders that were making their way towards the other sentries to kill them when the signal was given.

A signal I sent as I launched a [ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ] directly at the command building, engulfing it with flames as the assorted Loyalists shouted in surprise, shortly before several explosions signalled the attack on the sentries on the walls.

We pressed our advantage as hard as we could, descending upon the confused defenders while they were still trying to regain their mental footing.

My borrowed kodachi wasn't very chakra receptive, leading me to just using the edge to slit throats as my free hand was cloaked in a [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] to pretty much explode another man's heart. Stupid Kisame.

Han-san was working his way through what seemed to be a group of greenhorn chunin, using his steam based ninjutsu to scald their bodies before finishing them off with heavy strikes to their chests, right where their hearts were located.

"Risa-san is down!" one of my subordinates shouted out as a rebel Kiri nin was flung from the building she had been securing.

"Aru-san, tend to her!" I shouted out to my medical subordinate who quickly nodded as he rushed off to tend to the wounded chunin as I rushed for the building that she had been flung from.

A loyalist Jonin was rather surprised as he found himself under my assault, and he actually seemed somewhat familiar… huh oh well.

"Oh… fuck not you again!" the jonin shouted in anger as he backed away from me warily, making me raise an eyebrow.

"Oh… you were one of the guys from our attack on Shinkai base, aren't you?" I questioned, finally placing his face, a chunin I had faced off against during the Third War. "I see you managed to regain your mobility after I severed your calf muscles."

The man growled in response as he stiffened, a katana in hand. "Well _this_ time I'm ready for your fucking scalpels you _bitch_ ," he snarled at me, drawing a disappointed frown to my face as I sighed.

"Well, that's rather rude," I told him admonishingly as I tossed my borrowed kodachi to the side, really it wouldn't be of much help to me, a second chakra scalpel springing to life on my free hand as I took a stance. "Unfortunately my usual kodachi had been broken, so you'll have to make do with my taijutsu, sorry about that."

The man across from me - what was his name again? Did I ever get it? - growled angrily as he charged at me, looking rather insulted with my apology.

I let out a sigh as I used my sharingan's predictive sight to dodge his attacks, some people just had no manners, didn't they?

"That was a rather rude response," I said in a disappointed tone as he dodged my strikes. "Your mother must have been a _terrible_ teacher of manners."

"Leave my mother _out_ of this!" the man roared.

"I am simply speculating on the source of your rude manners," I scolded him. "The fact you're so defensive means that _you do_ attribute some of the blame for this to your mother, you know."

Evidently that pushed him over the edge, as he charged at me with a scream of raw fury. I neatly sidestepped him, not even needing the Sharingan to predict his movements, and neatly chopped him on the back of his head with my hand. I deactivated the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu on that hand though. I'd rather my incompetent enemies lived rather than the competent ones.

Stepped away from my comatose opponent, I surveyed the area and nodded in approval as my team finished up with securing the base. The op had gone down without much of a hitch. The only snag had been Risa-san going down, and I could see from here that Aru-san had her well in hand.

"Send word to the primary base that we have successfully captured the first base," I told one of our messengers, a rather quick-footed rebel genin.

"Yes! Yuriko-sama!" he replied saluted as he blushed a bit before taking off, aww, how cute he had a crush, too bad for him I was both married, and _not_ a pedophile.

I actually like my men a bit more… _experienced._

I blinked before shaking my head a bit. "Get your head out of the gutter, you'll see Roshi soon enough," I told myself in a mutter before I headed for the wreckage of the command building to see what could scavenged from it.

* * *

Our blitz strike against the outlying strongholds had been a staggering success with the Loyalists falling back in disorder, stunned and shocked by the speed and strength of the Rebel attack.

And the fact that _two_ of the Great Nations decided to throw their weight behind the rebellion.

Apparently I was also a deciding factor for the retreat of some of the older members who apparently remembered the results of my actions during the Third War. Tch. You attack a base _here_ and kill a few jonin _there_ and suddenly everyone's afraid of you.

I rolled my eyes mentally as I rode on Shige-san's clay bird, just behind the man as we headed for a front that was requesting some reinforcements. Seriously, you would think that a place called the _Bloody Mist_ wouldn't be afraid of a woman called the _Bloody Scalpel_. It wasn't like I was a deranged mad doctor who experimented on my opponents… I only did that on the prisoners that my Hokage had given clearance to be used as test subjects, I'm _not_ Orochimaru thank you very much.

Wow… did I just compare myself to Orochimaru for _morality_? Where has my life _led_ me?

I shook my head clear of those thoughts, I was _far_ too young to start having a midlife crisis now.

The sound of a large explosion caught my attention.

"Considering you aren't whooping in joy, that wasn't you, Shige-san?" I questioned dryly my sharingan activated as I scanned the area.

"Nope," Shige-san confirmed a frown on his face. "Plus, I don't think my explosives are strong enough to make a fireball _that_ big."

I spotted what he was talking about and paled a bit in response. "Drop me off here and get back and pick up Han-san," I instructed him as I prepared to jump off. "I can only think of one person that can make that much devastation."

"You mean… the Mizukage?" Shige-san blanched in fear. "And you want to _go down there!?_ "

"We all have our jobs to do Shige-san," I told him, forcing my voice to keep calm despite the nervousness I was feeling, sparring against a Jinchuriki is _vastly_ different from _fighting_ one. "And I have given you yours, now bring me down."

Shige-san swallowed but seemed to draw some confidence from the calm I was projecting. "Right, drop you off, and double time it to get Han… I can do that," he breathed out with a heavy sigh. "I'll be back as soon as I can be."

I patted his shoulder comfortingly. "I know you will, Shige-san," I told him confidently as we neared the ground. "May the Kamis watch over you."

"You'll need them more than I do!" Shige-san shouted after me as I leapt from the clay bird and landed amongst the tree branches.

I sped off towards the source of the explosions as I scanned ahead of me for any survivors, stragglers, or Loyalist shinobi seeking the same things. I wasn't sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate, but I didn't encounter _anything_ as I reached the crater where the forces that I was to reinforce were stationed. Or rather...anyone. It was, to use the cliché, _too_ quiet.

Old and tried instincts flared as I leapt to the side, a hooked staff cutting through the air my head _had_ been occupying seconds later before retracting and batting away the handful of kunai I hurled at the owner of the staff.

As I righted my position, I calmly gazed at my ambusher, a slight smirk coming onto my face. "Quite the greeting you have, Mizukage-san," I greeted the Jinchuriki of the Sanbi, Yagura, politely nodding at him. "Do you greet everyone like this, or am I special?"

"Well, considering your reputation and your eyes, I figured something special was in order," Yagura replied, his pupiless pink eyes emotionless as he stared at me, holding his staff at the ready. "You _have_ garnered quite the reputation after all… _Bloody Scalpel._ "

I let out a small sigh in response. "I was in a war, can you honestly say you wouldn't do anything different were our positions reversed?" I questioned with a quirk of my lips. "And these eyes of mine are nothing more than a tool, a powerful tool I will grant you, but a tool nonetheless."

Yagura hummed in response as he took a stance. "A shame more don't follow your opinions on it, then maybe I wouldn't have been forced to purge all of them to ensure peace," he replied, his chakra ramping up as he prepared to attack.

"Oh, there is always a choice," I countered, granted, he was brainwashed to do Obito's bidding by this point, to the point where even if I _did_ break the genjutsu on him, he would _still_ think was a good idea, but still… the choice was there. "You just took the easy way out."

"The weight of the burdens we bear are on different levels," Yagura said with a slight air of superiority about him.

"Yes, I don't have _mass genocide_ on my conscience," I admitted with a smirk, spreading my arms open. "Unlike you, I can actually look in the mirror and _like_ who I am, even when I am cleaning myself up after experimenting on prisoners for the Hokage."

Yagura narrowed his eyes at that. Aw, looks like he didn't like that, the truth hurts, after all. "It looks like even the other nations aren't safe from the monsters that are bloodline users," he commented angrily as he tried to smother me with his chakra only for me to counter it with my own.

"You _do_ realize that over ninety percent of medic-nin aren't bloodline users, right?" I pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "I don't exactly _enjoy_ the experimental procedures he has me use on them, far to bloody sometimes, not to mention the _rudeness_ of the patients."

"I think this conversation has reached the limit of what can be done here," Yagura commented, anger colouring his tone as he began molding his chakra.

I couldn't help the ruthful chuckle that escaped my lips as I shook my head. "It's always the way of those who cannot win with words to turn to violence and force their opinions on others," I said mockingly, huh… kinda reminds me of Pein, _another_ fucking idiot. "But, yes… it's quite obvious we are going to need to try our best to kill each other now."

My eye shifted as I triggered the change to the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, Yagura stilling as he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Oh? Did Kisame-san not tell you about these?" I questioned him with positively saccharine sweetness as I looked at him, matching my tone with a smile. "The Ultimate form of the Sharingan, not the worst thing for one to see in their final moments."

I didn't even give him a chance to reply as I spat out an overcharged [ **Great Fireball** ]. While only a C-Ranked jutsu, it was _extremely_ versatile, you can make it a flamethrower, a projectile, or do what I did and overcharge to make it… well… a bomb.

As the fireball exploded, I gathered the mist surrounding us into a [ **Water Release: Mantle of the Water Dragon** ] to protect me from the flames that quickly dissipated as Yagura manipulated the water to drench the area and drown out the flames.

I charged in through the steam to try and counter any attack he was going to try and launch at me, only to see my reflection in a floating mirror that was being turned around, with my copy coming at me.

Wait… WHAT!?

My sharingan saved me from my shock as my copy tried to launch a palm strike at my nose, one of my favored moves in taijutsu as when done right would disorient a person, both from the pain of having their nose broken, and the ringing in your head from a strong blow, something I quickly took advantage of to drive a chakra scalpel into someone.

Much like I was doing to my clone that quickly dissolved into water as my scalpel disrupted it's form enough to cancel the jutsu. I leaned back as the hooked staff swung past my face and struck out with my foot to drive him off as I snapped the end of the water cloak I was wearing at him as further encouragement to back away.

I didn't allow him time to create another mirror though as I charged at him, both hands alight with chakra scalpels to strike at him only for the Mizukage to duck and weave around my strikes and return his own with his staff.

I was really starting to feel naked without my kodachi at my side. But… I do have _something_ of a replacement for it.

My right hand formed a single seal as I moulded my chakra in it. "[ **Chakra Scalpel: Saber** ],"I announced as the chakra scalpel on my right hand shuddered momentarily before it began to lengthen to about the length of a standard katana, starting from the tips of my fingers.

It was a rather simple modification to the basic Chakra Scalpel, simply just extending it, so I was rather surprised no one had thought to do it before myself… or at least _record_ it anyways.

Yagura hurriedly got himself out of the way of the lengthened scalpel, a deep cut opening on his cheek where he didn't quite manage to completely dodge it as he leapt away. "It looks like that your skills aren't just all talk," he commented as his chakra _shifted_ in a _very_ familiar way. "I will **be killing you.** " he announced as he summoned up the second stage of his bijuu cloak, the blood red and black chakra covering his body as three tails waved behind him.

Well… shit.

When all else fails… kill it with fire, and lots of it.

I quickly formed several seals and inhaled. "[ **Fire Release: Heaven Quenching Flame** ]!" I shouted as my eyes spun quickly, my voice echoing several times as the crater we were in suddenly became engulfed in flames, the [ **Mantle of the Water Dragon** ] quickly evaporating from the sheer _heat_ of the flames as they engulfed the two of us. "[ **Earth Release: Hiding Like A Mole** ]!" I managed to get out before I suffocated from my own flames and dove underground to avoid the searing heat, one of my hands already alight with healing chakra to heal the burns I sustained simply from releasing the jutsu, let along seven of it at once, and moved away from the site of the now raging flame.

I had made _no_ attempt to control the flames like I did with Kisame-san, he may be called a tailless Bijuu… but _that_ was a jinchuriki of the three tails, no way am I fucking with that.

I gasped for clean air as I climbed out of the ground, a good distance from the crater where the flames were _still_ raging and warily scanned the area for Yagura. I was _not_ fooling myself; if Kisame-san could survive that, so could Yagura.

Huh… you know something, I'm starting to realize that people that reach S-Rank are complete and utter monsters.

Kisame is able to take almost anything and heal from it and has chakra reserves equal to a Jinchuriki, thanks to his bond with Samehada. Me? I just set a crate of _rock and dirt aflame_.

Let me say that again, so that you will understand. I set _ROCKS_ and _DIRT_ on _FIRE_. That takes an _insane_ level of heat to do, and that was in an _extremely_ wet environment. Why did Konoha think it was a good idea to set up a village in the _LAND OF FIRE_ where most shinobi are of a fire element?

My mental rant was cut off as a hand of blood red chakra erupted from the ground to try and squash me only for the light blue chakra of my [ **Susano'o** ] to flare up into a protective ribcage, protecting me from the blow itself, although the kinetic energy of the blow still sent me skidding back. "Yeah… I figured that wouldn't kill you," I commented dryly as Yagura dragged the rest of himself out of the ground. "Persistent bugger."

" **This is why you bloodline users cannot be allowed to live,** " Yagura growled in his transformed state. " **You will simply destroy everything in your path.** "

I gave the jinchuriki a deadpanned look. "Yeah, no, _every_ shinobi is capable of changing the face of the earth, I just have a shortcut," I shot back snarkily, hey, I just set him on fire with _seven S-Ranked_ fire ninjutsus, I think I would be allowed to drop politeness at this point. "And like a Jinchuriki can be so high and mighty about _collateral damage_ , _you_ made the crater in the first place, _I_ just set it on fire."

Yagura decided not to reply with words as he raised his head up, small balls of black and white chakra gathering in front of his open mouth.

Wait… wasn't that…?

Oh hell the _fuck_ no! I am _not_ dying to a Bijuudama!

My hands flashed through several seals as I summoned more of my [ **Susano'o** ] to be manifested. "[ **Earth Release: Titanium Encampment Wall** ]!" I shouted as my [ **Susano'o** ] manifest **Amenonuhoko** , allowing me to use the S-ranked Earth ninjutsu that I created with its ability.

A massive slab of pure titanium rose up in front of me as Yagura finished gathering the chakra he needed and swallowed the ball of chakra before he was hidden from my sight.

Yeah, even with a wall of titanium in front of me I don't feel the least bit safe. "[ **Susano'o: Complete Form** ]!" I announced as I began to fully manifest my chakra construct just as Yagura unleashed his attack.

The sound of rushing noise blocked out all sound leaving only silence as a explosion of chakra filled my vision as the Bijuudama collided with my titanium wall leaving me feeling like I was drifting through nothingness for several seconds.

The sudden rushing of noise was the first sign to me that I didn't _die_ from the attack, which was followed by a few flashes of pain from my left leg, finally my vision returned as I blinked spots out of my eyes to see the devastation Yagura caused with that _one_ attack.

"And the asshole calls _me_ destructive," I groused as I saw the new crater that was formed from his attack, a few chunks of titanium raining down around me as I floated above it all, safely residing within the forehead of the completed form of my [ **Susano'o** ], a glance down to my hurting leg showed me that I wasn't unscathed however as I winced at the sight of my shin bone poking out. "Ow," I grunted as I reached down.

Gritting my teeth forcibly _pushed_ it back into place so that I could begin healing it, and dear god… it _hurt_. Almost as much as repairing my own spine and fighting with it soon after, which came in second to giving birth.

Huh… I am experiencing a _lot_ of pain in this life of being a kunoichi of Konohagakure. Oh gee, I _wonder_ why?

I didn't let out a single scream or whimper of pain, however, I was far too in control of my emotions and body to do such a thing as I managed to get the exposed bone back into my body and reset it while also sealing the break and wound.

As soon as my injury was repair I looked down to see Yagura looking up at me with those blank white eyes of his Second Stage Bijuu Cloak. That's right asshole, I got tricks up these nonexistent sleeves of mine.

"And you called _me_ destructive," I called down to him, channeling chakra to my voice box to project it further to him. "I am nowhere _near_ that destructive…"

Well… not _yet_ anyways.

" **You** _ **are**_ **destructive in an insidious way, subverting control and weakening your country with your bloodlust,** " he called back as he was no doubt glaring at me, even if the second stage cloak doesn't really relay emotions. " **And** _ **I**_ **will put an end to whatever your plans are here and now.** "

Another surge of chakra slammed into me as his body began to swell up.

Was he…? Seriously…?

Yeah… he was going full Bijuu on me.

Fuck. My. Life.

Still, I wasn't dead yet, and Han-san was on his way, I could survive this still. So with that thought in mind I summoned **Amenonuhoko** and had my [ **Susano'o** ] hold it at the ready, remaining in the air the entire time, like fuck I'm going to reduce my agility when fighting a _KAMI DAMNED BIJUU!_

"[ **Shell Spear** ]!" Yagura's voice called out from the mass of chakra known as the Three-Tailed Bijuu proved my point as the turtle like chakra beast curled up into ball and mimicked an Akimichi's Human Boulder Technique and tried to flatten me underneath, only for me to dart around and try to stab into him with my spear, the chakra weapon only scraped across the incredibly dense shell, however, barely even scratching it as it rolled past me.

One of the tails whipped out from within the ball it began to slam against the ground, altering its trajectory enough to turn the bijuu turned spikey wrecking ball around to make another pass at me.

This time I used the powers of **Amenonuhoko** to raise the earth as an improvised ramp to use the fully transformed jinchuriki over my head. Huh...flying godzilla turtle… _not_ something I'd thought I'd ever see before…

I shake the thought out of my head, as amusing at it sounds, it really was terrifying to see a massive turtled spinning above completely unsure if it was about to come crashing down upon you.

Thankfully he didn't, instead he ended up cratering the ground as he landed, the momentum of the spin dying out as he dug into the ground. Yeah I wasn't going to waste this chance. My eyes spun to life as I began forming seals at a rapid pace.

"[ **Earth Release: Self-Curdling Island** ]!" I shout out as I finish forming the seals, the vocalization releasing the moulded chakra through **Amenonuhoko** to enhance my earth manipulation.

The result you ask?

Well first the earth began to shake as literal _boulders_ began to rise up into the air, floating above my [ **Susano'o: Complete Form** ] as I used my divine weapon to meld the chucks together until they form a literal _island_ the size of a kami damned _mountain_. _FUCK_ subtle.

With a single gesture I release my hold over the floating island and move out of the way as it dropped onto Yagura in his three tailed form. But, he proved just how _destructive_ they are as all three of the Sanbi's tails whipped forward to start smashing at the rocks as he inhaled a bit before letting lose a massive blast of water that quickly dismantled the rest of the mountain, leaving me plenty of time to complete my next jutsu.

"[ **Water Release: Foam Island** ]!" I declared as I finished manipulating the moisture that had been building up into clouds into a massive clump of foam, the exact same size of the mountain of rock I dropped on him earlier. Now, I'm sure you're thinking: 'What's foam going to do?'

Well, I'm sure Yagura had the same thought before he struck out with a single tail.

Said form promptly exploded like a bundle of a dozen concussion grenades in a steel box.

In other words? Enough concussive force to scramble your brains.

Granted, he was in the middle of a chakra beast who was known for its nearly impregnable defenses, but that didn't mean his head wasn't ringing from the explosion.

That left him distracted as I trigger my next jutsu. "[ **Fire Release: Flame Sunray** ]!" I declared as I created a javelin using my [ **Susano'o** ] to hold it, which was probably a smart idea since its heat was equal to that of the surface of the sun, thankfully any greenery had already been destroyed because the ground was already _melting_ around me from the jutsu alone.

I then threw it at Yagura who managed to notice it with his most likely swimming vision.

He managed to react in time and created a blast of water to intercept the spear… only for the water to evaporate before it even got close to the javelin. I wasn't able to see exactly what happened next as the javelin exploded into a miniature sun before it impacted against Yagura's Bijuu shell, forcing me to look away or risk blindness from the intense light.

" **You… cannot… defeat me…** " I heard Yagura call out as the light faded, showing the three-tail relatively unharmed, scorched and scratched, but still standing and ready to fight, if a bit out of breath. " **Your tainted powers are useless against me!** "

"Yeah, well let's see you say that after this," I declared as my Sharingan stopped spinning, **Kamiyonanayo** and **Ama-no Ukihashi** both activated as I replicated the three _S-Ranked ninjutsus_ I just used _seven_ times, floating above Yagura as the head of the Sanbi looked up, its eyes widening in surprise as it beheld the power of my Mangekyou.

"[ **Earth Release: Self-Curdling Island** ]!"

"[ **Water Release: Foam Island** ]!"

"[ **Fire Release: Flame Sunray** ]!"

Dear _god_ was it draining, but _FUCK_ subtlety. _FUCK_ going easy. _FUCK HOLDING BACK!_

I had a family to return to, and even if I did so chakra exhausted, I _will_ do so, _with_ my mission completed.

"Return to ash," I declared imperiously as the 21 S-Rank ninjutsu of Fire, Water and Earth released themselves upon the Bijuu.

I had to close my eyes to protect them from the following detonation as my flying [ **Susano'o** ] was sent tumbling in the air for a moment before I could recover its balance enough to continue floating in the air. When I opened them it was to see a cloud of ash and smoke forming a mushroom shape high into the stratosphere.

Huh… I just nuked a Bijuu.

For some reason, probably because of my adrenaline high, I couldn't help but giggle in response to the fact that I essentially _nuked_ a bijuu.

" **Damn… bloodliners…** " Yagura's voice growled angrily, making me freeze as I turned back to where the smoke still obscured the form of the Sanbi. I was in shock myself; I knew, intellectually, that the Sanbi had one of the highest defences among all of the Bijuu, but surely even _Isobu_ would have been knocked out by _twenty-one S-Rank jutsu_ exploding in his face!

Apparently, I was naive.

"OK, seriously? What the fuck?" was all I could say.

" **The Sanbi's… shell… won't… be broken by bloodliners!** " Yagura shouted angrily as a black and white ball chakra began to gather at his mouth.

Oh come _on!_

" **Then how about my hooves?** " a new voice broke in from above. **"Five Mountain Jump!"**

I looked up as my eyes widened at the sight of Kokuo-san plummeting from the sky - how did he get so high? - steam erupting all around him as he slammed into the back of the Sanbi's shell, forcing Yagura into the ground and disrupting the building Bijuudama that Yagura was building as he screamed in pain, all around the two of them steam erupted from Kokuo's body scalding the visible skin of the Sanbi.

"Oh thank Kami…" I breathed in relief as Kokuo-san leapt away from the shell of the Sanbi. "Han-san, Kokuo-san… you two have the _best_ timing ever."

The beast walked up to me with a chuckle. " **Thank you, Yuriko-san,** " Kokuo's voice filtered through. Ah, so Han-san was letting Kokuo-san take the reins… so to speak. " **But… even with the added height provided by Shige-san, I don't think that will be enough to finish my brother.** "

"Right… no offense, but his defenses are _bullshit_ ," I told the Bijuu. "And I am starting to run low on Chakra… but… I do have enough to give you an extra edge."

" **Do it, Yuriko-san,** " Kokuo-san allowed with a nod of his head. " **I trust you.** "

Wow… I had the trust of a Bijuu… huh, how many Uchiha could claim _that_?

I grinned as I dropped my [ **Susano'o** ] temporarily, allowing me to land on Kokuo's head. "Alright then… time to pull a Madara… well… partially anyways," I announced with a slight chuckle as my sharingan spun again. "[ **Majestic Attire: Susano'o** ]!" I shouted as I triggered my [ **Susano'o** ] once again, spreading my protective light blue chakra across Kokuo-san's body, armor plates forming into place, starting from the five tails that gave Kokuo-san his title of the Gobi and forming along his horse like legs and body, however, when it reach his head it continued above, forming a human like upper body with the tengu-mask of my [ **Susano'o** ] mixed with the features of Kokuo-san as both arms formed, wielding **Amenonuhoko**.

"All yours, Kokuo-san," I announced, allowing the Bijuu full control over the chakra construct that essentially turned him into a centaur for the time being.

Kokuo san laughed loudly as he paced around a bit and swung the arms of my [ **Susano'o** ] experimentally. " **My thanks, Yuriko-san!** " he shouted out cheerfully. " **Defenses to match my brother,** _ **and**_ **one of my father's treasures in hand! How could we lose!** "

I couldn't stop the giggle from escaping my lips at his eagerness. "Well said, Kokuo-san," I replied as he prepared to charge Yagura. "Like this, I don't think we can lose."

Turns out, that was all the prompting the Gobi needed to let out a bellow of challenge as he charged forth, **Amenonuhoko** spinning in the hands of my [ **Susano'o** ].

In response, Yagura curled himself into a ball and began rapidly rolling into a ball for the Sanbi's [ **Shell Spear** ] technique.

" **Fool! You think your amateur use of my sibling's technique can overcome me?** " Kokuo-san shouted angrily as he pulled his power into **Amenonuhoko** and drove the naginata into the earth. "[ **Amanomibashira (Heavenly Pillar)** ]!" he shouted out as Yagura was suddenly thrown into the air from a massive pillar sprouting to life underneath him.

Yagura shouted in pain as he was thrown into the air by the sudden pillar of earth as Kokuo-san began circling around, a small ramp appearing underfoot that he used as a platform to leap into the air after Yagura. "Here! Kokuo-san!" I shouted out as I triggered the wings for my [ **Susano'o: Complete Manifestation** ].

Kokuo-san let out a laugh as the wings allowed him to channel his limitless chakra reserves into keeping us aloft into the air. " **I am glad to be working with you, Yuriko-san!** " the bijuu shouted out, drawing a happy smile from me at the eagerness in the bijuu's voice. " **Five Mountain Jump!** "

Yagura cried out in pain again as he was driven into the ground by Kokuo-san's hooves force him into the ground again before the shell of the three tails was pinned into the ground my Kokuo-san standing on top of him.

Kokuo-san brought the hands of the [ **Susano'o** ] together and I could _feel_ the chakra being channeled through it to form a **Bijuudama** between the hands. " **You don't even know how to properly use my brother's chakra, I can** _ **feel**_ **the illusion suppressing his will!** " Kokuo-san shouted angrily. " **Well! Awaken yourself from your slumber! BROTHER!** "

With that shout Kokuo-san brought the **Bijuudama** down upon the pinned jinchuriki resulting in a blinding explosion that ripped the land apart underneath us.

When my vision was returned, I was laying ontop of Kokuo-san with the [ **Magnificent Attire: Susano'o** ] having dissipated due to the point-blank **Bijuudama** that the Gobi released.

"Urgh… a little warning next time please… Kokuo-san…" I managed to grunt out as I blinked the remaining spots from my eyes. It felt like my head had just been dropped off the Empire State Building back on my original world!

" **My apologies, Yuriko-san, I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself,** " Kokuo-san replied as I managed to get back up to my feet and looked down to see Yagura's body laying on the ground. " **It looks like that last attack brought him to death's door.** "

I nodded in response as I staggered a bit. "Would you mind letting me down?" I asked, normally I would just jump it, but I was _exhausted_ and didn't quite trust myself to stick the landing.

" **Of course, Yuriko-san,** " Kokuo-san replied as he brought his tail around to help lower me to the ground.

"I think at this point, the two of you can just call me Yuriko," I told the two with a light chuckle as I stepped onto the Bijuu's tail.

Kokuo-san smiled down at me. " **Only if you do the same, Yuriko,** " he replied, looking rather happy with the development.

I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips as I shook my head ruefully. "Very well, Kokuo," I said as I reached the ground and hopped off his tail and made my way to Yagura, I didn't need my medical training to tell me he was on death's door. "And so here we are… Fourth Mizukage," I sighed as I walked up to the still body, Yagura managing to turn his head a bit to glare at me. "Are you satisfied?"

"I… will not, be satisfied…" he gasped out painfully, coughing up some bloody spittle. "Until all you bloodliners… are dead…"

"You _still_ don't realise it do you?" I questioned with a pitying look on my face. "You're under a powerful genjutsu, every action you made, was someone else, sabotaging your country and countrymen."

"Im… impossible… I am… a perfect… Jinchuriki…" he gasped out desperately, trying to claw a hand towards me. "Genjutsu… doesn't… work… on me!"

"And it is that _arrogance_ that allowed someone to cast one on you," I snarled at him angrily. "Your arrogance nearly destroyed your own country, you haven't even heard Isobu's voice, have you?"

"The… Sanbi's?" Yagura questioned. "But… he… I…"

I shook my head as I drew out a kunai. "I will end your suffering, Yagura-san," I told him with the calm needed by all medical professionals needed. "And I promise you, the one who did this, will pay in full for _all_ of his crimes."

Yagura stared at me for several moments before closing his eyes, allowing me to quickly thrust my kunai into his chest, into his heart and killing him. I bowed my head silently for a moment in respect as disbelieving Rebel Kiri ninja appeared, staring at the fallen Kage.

"Is… is that true?" a new voice questioned, making me look over my shoulder to see Mei-san and Ao-san standing there. "Yagura… was being controlled?"

"Subtly, but yes," I sighed as I shook my head. "At this point though… even if it _had_ been broken, he would have still believed in the purges."

"But… he was a perfect Jinchuriki," Mei-san protested desperately. "He was infamous for laughing off any sort of genjutsu."

Above us Kokuo snorted in amusement before lowering his head to look down upon the two, who stepped back in fear. " **There is no such thing as a** _ **perfect**_ **Jinchuriki,** " he informed them coldly. " **And immunity to genjutsu? Ha! The only way to be perfectly immune is to have absolutely** _ **no**_ **chakra within your body. There is** _ **always**_ **a way to place a genjutsu onto someone.** "

"But… but then _who_ did this?" Ao-san demanded, stepping forward, his fear of the Bijuu being overridden by his anger. "And why? _Thousands_ have suffered and many more have _died_ because of this!"

"I don't know," I replied sighing heavily. "Whoever did this also suppressed the mind of the Sanbi completely. Yagura was drawing on the chakra of his prisoner, but he was doing so _very_ crudely and had no assistance whatsoever. Who could do _that_?"

" **Well… I am sure Kurama would be able to speak of** _ **one**_ **who could,** " Kokuo informed in a grumble. " **After all…** "

"Madara Uchiha was infamous for it," I finished with a grimace. "Highly unlikely that he survived the battle against Shodai-sama, but… not impossible, nor would it be impossible for him to have left behind notes on controlling Bijuu and their jinchuuriki."

"That would be by using a Sharingan though," Ao-san realized, his eye widening in surprise as he turned to me. "Did your clan…!?"

"Nope," I denied simply. "No Uchiha who were _remotely_ powerful enough to have cast that sort of genjutsu never went within ocular range of Kiri or Yagura at the time he seemingly went nuts… although…"

"What is it?" Mei-san questioned in concern.

"There is the one who was responsible for the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha…" I informed her with a frown. "He had an unrecorded Mangekyou Sharingan in his right eye…"

"And you know this how?" Ao-san questioned suspiciously.

"Simple… I was there when he killed Yondaime-sama," I replied meeting his gaze. "He stabbed me through the liver from behind and left for dead, only reason I survived was because I managed to heal myself enough to stop the bleeding."

"Wait," Mei-san interrupted giving me a surprised look. "Someone managed to take _your_ back?"

"I was still a kid, only ten at the time, even if I was a jonin. I was more focused on ensuring… something was happening," I explained, dodging around Naruto-kun's birth. "I turned my head around to see a masked man with a single Sharingan glaring at me before he tossed me aside like trash."

I clenched my fists at the memory of what happened before forcibly unclenching it and relaxing my body. Obito would _pay_ , as would Madara and Zetsu.

I shook my head to clear those thoughts before turning back to the others. "You should be ready to reseal the Sanbi when he reappears," I instructed before turning to Kokuo. "How much longer until he appears, Kokuo?"

Kokuo hummed in response. " **Shouldn't be much longer now,** " he informed turning back to the group of rebel shinobi. " **I will say this though: should you mistreat my brother, you** _ **will**_ **answer to me.** "

"B-brother?" Ao-san asked nervously.

"Do you _really_ not know the legend of the Sage of Six Paths?" I asked skeptically. "He created the Bijuu, he's essentially their father, making them siblings."

" **He would be amused by that,** " Kokuo informed with a slight chuckle. " **But… for now we best focus on the fact that my brother is reforming…** "

Indeed, the great body of the Sanbi was reappearing, still as irritatingly unblemished as it had been before my battle with Yagura.

" **K-Kokuo? Is that you?** " Isobu called out in confusion as his body began to take shape. " **I… what happened?** "

" **You had been forced into a slumber, brother, while your host was being controlled,** " Kokuo explained with a regretful tone. " **What is the last thing you remember?** "

" **I… I remember Yagura being confronted by a man with an orange spiral mask,** " Isobu revealed. " **And… he had… a sharingan! Did he?** "

" **Yes… it appears to be so, your host underwent a genocidal regime under the control of a man who wished to destabilize Kirigakure and Mizu no Kuni, not to mention ruin some of Father's gifts,** " Kokuo explained. " **Brother, there is a threat going around, targeting the Bijuu and their Jinchuriki for a reason we do not know… I know it is much to ask… but are you willing to be resealed into another host?** "

" **But… how will we make sure it doesn't happen again?** " Isobu questioned in concern. " **If he was able to suppress me once…** "

"Isobi-san," I spoke up, stepping forward, drawing the Sanbi's attention to me. "I am somewhat competent at the sealing arts and one of the best Fuinjutsu users in the Elemental Nations is coming here soon. Between the two of us we may be able to design something that will prevent you from being totally downtrodden again like that."

Isobu studied me very carefully. " **You yourself have a sharingan as well… why should I trust you?** " he questioned suspiciously.

" **Because brother, she does care, as strange as it may seem,** " Kokuo spoke up in my defense. " **Both myself and my host, are more than willing to call her our friend.** "

Isobu stared at Kokuo for several moments before letting out a gusty sigh. " **Very well, I shall put some trust into you,** " he said finally looking over at me. " **How long until the sealer arrives?** "

"Within the week," I assured him, hoping that Sarutobi-sama _did_ send help. "Thank you for your trust, Isobu-san."

Isobu turned away from me to look down at his former host. " **I suppose… I should thank you for stopping Yagura,** " he said with a heavy sigh. " **He would hate what he had become were he aware of it.** "

I bowed to the Sanbi politely in response. "If you will excuse me, Isobu-san, I must retire for now," I explained. "Unfortunately, the battle has been very taxing on me."

Isobu nodded in agreement before he began to settle himself in the area, waiting for his resealing as Kokuo-san began to shrink to reveal Han.

And then I saw the ground as my body gave out on me and dropped me to the ground, barely hearing the shouts of the people around me as I drifted off into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **You have Defeated the Yondaime Mizukage Yagura Karatachi!**

 **+25,000 EXP, 2,500,000 Ryo, Hooked Staff and [Water Release: Water Mirror] jutsu scroll acquired and placed into Inventory.**

 **You have Leveled up!**

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 75  
 **EXP** : 15,047/38,000 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current - Former  
HP - **9,125 **-  
CP -** 37,900 **-**  
 **STR -** 95 (166) **-  
INT - **140 (210) **-  
DEX - **160 (280) **-  
VIT - **90 (135) **-  
WIS -**135 (202) **-  
LUK - **41 (61) **-**  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254 -  
 **Stat Points** \- 5

 **New Skills!**

[ **Earth Release: Self-Curdling Island** ] ( **Active** ) ( **Level 24 - 23.98%** ) - A unique jutsu created by Yuriko Uchiha that uses the power of **Amenonuhoko** to manipulate a massive amount of earth into the air, forming into a massive island shape that is then launched at the enemy.

[ **Water Release: Foam Island** ] ( **Active** ) ( **Level 22 - 35.47%)** \- The user uses their chakra to create a mass of bubbles that are formed together, when a single bubble explodes it will cause a chain reaction creating a massive concussive explosion strong enough to liquify the organs of normal humans.

[ **Fire Release: Flame Sunray** ]( **Active** ) ( **Level 29 - 65.50%)** \- The user concentrates flames as hot as the surface as the sun into a single javelin that is then thrown at the enemy, usage of this technique requires mastery of a heat barrier jutsu.


	23. Sarutobi Interlude Yuriko Stat Page

There were many things that Hiruzen Sarutobi would say he enjoyed in life; the feeling of mastering a difficult jutsu, observing the villagers as they went about their days in peace. But there was one thing he loved to see more than anything, watching the next generation as they came into their own.

As such, he couldn't help but smile fondly as one Yuriko Uchiha finished her After Action Report about the mission in Mizu no Kuni, essentially taking command of the Rebel's medical corps the battle against Kisame Hoshigaki, going up against Yagura and fighting alongside the Gobi, Kokuo, deducing who was responsible for Yagura's change in behavior, being his witness for Mei Terumi being announced as the Mizukage, and then taking apart of the sealing of the Sanbi, Isobu and devising a seal with Jiraiya that would hopefully prevent the Bijuu from being subjugated again.

Once he heard her report in detail and asking a few details about the seal that they designed before dismissing her, allowing her to return to her family that she was obviously eager to return to, not really surprising considering it's been about three months since she's seen them in person.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he watched one of his top elites leap out of one of the windows in his office and leap towards the Uchiha Building. His eyes watched her back as she leapt across the roofs with practiced ease before settling to look at the village as a whole.

A soft smile graced his grandfatherly features as he looked at the village he sacrificed so _much_ for, that he had witnessed many people sacrifice their lives for, some of them on his orders. He regrets that such things were necessary, but he will _never_ regret giving the order, perhaps it was monsterous of him, but it was a decision that had to be made, and unfortunately it fell to him to make such decisions.

Well, for the time being.

A smile creased his face again as he remember little Naruto's declaration of becoming Hokage so that he could protect the village and his sister, Yuriko's flabbergasted expression as he loudly declared it from the top of Hokage Tower had been captured by her mother and placed into a frame, one he had in a corner of his desk.

Shaking his head he turned back to the paperwork on his desk that he got started on clearing it all away, bit by bit. Requisitions for ANBU, mission requests from the Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni - seriously, Sunagakure was _right there_ and cheaper than Konoha, why did he keep coming to Konoha?

Part of it, he knew, was a way to keep the Fourth Kazekage in check. Sabaku no Rasa was a militant Kage, eager to resort to force and power at the flimsiest of excuses. That one actually made sense, but another part of it was sheer stupidity. The sitting Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni was something of a moron, and didn't seem to get that antagonising the largest source of military power in his country was a Bad Idea. The amount of unrest in Sunagakure was rising, as was resentment against both the Daimyo and Konohagakure. He just hoped nothing further came of it.

Shaking his head, he placed it to the side to look over the details later and began looking through the assorted requests of the civilian council, he approved the trade delegation to be sent to Mizu no Kuni, but with the addendum that they were to wait for a month before leaving, to give time for Kirigakure to build itself back up a bit and settle in for repairing their village and country from the damages of their civil war.

The next request was summarily tossed into the trash before he even got halfway through the first paragraph. Seriously, a marriage request for Yuriko's daughter before she was even _five_ , when Yuriko had _already_ turned it down, perhaps he should have an ANBU operative look into the man if he was making requests like that.

A subtle twitch of his finger had one of his ANBU guards vanish from his senses as they headed off to investigate the man.

Humming a mindless tune to himself he picked up the next request and read it over carefully.

A fairly… _normal_ request for once, a shinobi guard for a councillor going to visit family near the border, granted and placed into the mission pile. Sadly, most of them were usually self-aggrandising requests, ones meant to get something for nothing just because. Idiots.

After a dozen more requests were considered and either rejected or approved (more of the former than the latter), the elderly Hokage decided to take a break and stood up to look out of his window. Overlooking the main street of the village, watching the hustle and bustle of the mixed civilians and shinobi through it never failed to fill him with pride that the Shodai's dream had grown so much since that day a century ago.

There were those who had sought to twist that dream into a nightmarish parody of what it had been supposed to be over time. His old friend Danzo had been chief among them, much to his sorrow. Thankfully, the Shinobi of Darkness had been crushed by a powerful force for the light. Yuriko had been an exemplary kunoichi from the first mission she had been forced into during the Third War, and she had always tried to act in the best interests of everyone involved in a conflict, shinobi and civilian.

Truly, she alone had proven the Nidaime's mistrust of the Uchiha wrong. Now the entire Uchiha Clan lived by the Will of Fire, although Danzo's manipulation of Itachi had reduced their numbers severely. Sarutobi shuddered as he remembered the raw pain and rage in Yuriko's newly transplanted eyes when the suspicion of who had been behind that manipulation had been mentioned when she recovered. Had she held any less respect for him than she had, he knew that Danzo wouldn't have lived past that day and Yuriko would have ignored his order to the contrary and damned the consequences to do so.

' _She has endured such loss._ ' he mourned. Her father during the war. Minato and Kushina on the Day of the Kyuubi. Her brother and other clansmen on the Aborted Massacre. Each time he had seen her eyes after those incidents, the pain had grown, but it had not eclipsed the light that dwelled within them. Now she had a husband and a daughter, people who were easing her pain and easing her burden.

The 'Game' power that she possessed was one that only her mother, himself and Jiraiya now knew of, as Minato had taken that secret to his grave. It wasn't written down anywhere and he had no intention of doing so. He could only imagine the reactions of some of the more bloodline-crazy council members; they'd demand to have her bred like an animal to see if her children could inherit it. A flicker of anger crept through his mind when he recalled the expression of pure fear on her face when Minato and Jiraiya had uncovered it. No child, no shinobi should be so scared of revealing an ability, especially not to her own leaders.

Sadly, the world was what it was. All he could do was ensure that no one knew what she could do. History would remember her simply as an extraordinary Medic-nin and an immensely strong kunoichi...perhaps as more.

A thoughtful expression filtered across his face as he considered an idle thought, she had the respect of many of the shinobi in Konohagakure, connections with their allies, held an S-rank bounty…

But, it wasn't time for something like that yet, so, shaking his head he turned away from the window he was looking out of and returned to his desk, to battle his accursed paperwork once again.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 76  
 **EXP** : 15,047/38,000 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current - Former  
HP - **9,125 **-  
CP -** 37,900 **-**  
 **STR -** 95 (166) **-  
INT - **140 (210) **-  
DEX - **160 (280) **-  
VIT - **90 (135) **-  
WIS -**135 (202) **-  
LUK - **41 (61) **-**  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254 -  
 **Stat Points** \- 5

 **Yuriko's Reputation Page**

 **Konohagakure - 17500/25000 - Exalted**

 **Uchiha Clan - 25000/25000 - Exalted  
Shigure Uchiha - 25000/25000 - Exalted  
** _ **Genrai Uchiha - 8000/10000 - Honored** **  
**_ ** _Sakaki Uchiha - 25000/25000 - Exalted_  
 _Fugaku Uchiha - 0/5000 - Well Liked_  
 _Mikoto Uchiha - 0/5000 - Well Liked_  
** **Itachi Uchiha - ?/? - Unknown  
Sasuke Uchiha - 25000/25000 - Exalted**

 **Yamanaka Clan - 4500/5000 - Well Liked  
Chika Yamanaka - 3500/10000 - Honored  
Fuyuko Yamanaka - 0/2500 - Neutral  
Inoichi Yamanaka - 5600/7500 - Friendly**

 **Nara Clan - 4000/5000 - Well Liked  
Shikaku Nara - 5600/7500 - Friendly**

 **Akimichi Clan - 3900/5000 - Well Liked  
Chouza Akimichi - 5600/7500 - Friendly**

 **Aburame Clan - 2500/5000 - Well Liked**

 **Inuzuka Clan - 4900/5000 - Well Liked  
Tsume Inuzuka - 6500/7500 - Friendly**

 **Kurama Clan - 3500/5000 - Well Liked**

 **Hyuuga Clan - 7500/10000 - Honored  
Hiashi Hyuuga - 9000/10000 - Honored  
Hinata Hyuuga - 9500/10000 - Honored**

 **Civilians - 6000/7500 - Friendly  
Aoi Nanase 3500/10000 - Honored**

 **Academy 6050/7500 - Friendly  
Konjo Asai 4500/5000 - Well Liked**

 **Sarutobi Clan  
Hiruzen Sarutobi - 15000/25000 - Exalted**

 **Namikaze Clan  
** _ **Minato Namikaze - 0/25000 - Exalted**_

 **Shinobi Forces  
Jiraiya - 2500/25000 - Exalted  
Hasai Natto - 3500/10000 - Honored  
Genma Shiranui - 0/5000 - Well Liked  
Raido Namiashi - 0/5000 - Well Liked  
Iwashi Tatami - 0/5000 - Well Liked  
Kakashi Hatake - ?/2500 - Neutral**

 **Uzumaki Clan  
** _ **Kushina Uzumaki - 0/7500 - Friendly**_ **  
Naruto Uzumaki - 25000/25000 - Exalted**

 **SKILLS**

 **Fire Release: Great Fireball (Active)[Level 50 - MAXED] -** Staple Jutsu of the Uchiha Clan, burn your enemies alive with either a massive ball of fire, or a continuous flame-thrower - Fireball - 200 fire damage with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 100 CP per fireball - Flame-Thrower - 100 fire damage per second, with a 30% chance to inflict the 'Burn' status, 50 CP per second

 **Uchiha Interceptor Fist (Passive)[Level 75 - 4.6%] -** The primary and basic taijutsu of the Uchiha clan, has several offshoot forms but each Uchiha has roots with this technique, makes maximum use of the Sharingan to predict and counter enemy attacks - increases DEX and STR by 25%

 **Intermediate Shurikenjutsu (Passive)[Level 28 - 66.35%] -** You're starting to get fairly accurate with your kunai and shuriken, and can reliably hit a target. Though odds are you'll make the target a pincushion instead of hitting the same place every time - Increases accuracy of thrown items by +45%

 **Advanced Uchiha Style Kenjutsu (Passive)[Level 30 - 31.95%]** \- You have learned how to use the Uchiha style kenjutsu, and people easily recognize that you are talented with the blade. - +72 bonus to DEX and +51% STR when using a sword type weapon, +57% effectiveness to blocking incoming attacks when using a sword type weapon, enables advanced swordfighting special moves

 **Substitution Jutsu (Active)[Level MAX] -** The Ninja get out of death card, and piss off to your enemies who thought you were dead! - Allows you change places with an item up to a large sized dog in weight to avoid an incoming attack you are aware of up to 15 times in a row, costs 10 CP per use

 **Transformation Jutsu (Active)[Level 96 - 21.4%] -** The instant disguise kit! This genjutsu lets you disguise yourself from your enemies but is very fragile and can be disrupted easily. - Can transform into another person that is within 3 feet of your height and 80 lbs your weight. Costs 15 CP/ Second

 **Clone Jutsu (Active)[Level MAX] -** A very basic clone technique, creates illusionary clones that don't have any shadows or creates sound - Can create up to Nineteen clones per use, 10 CP/Clone

 **Relaxation Technique (Active) [Level MAX]** \- the most basic Iryojutsu used by the Medical Ninja, the user uses their chakra to relax the target, washing their fatigue away and stimulating their chakra regeneration, cannot be used on self. - +140% Chakra Regeneration on Target, 20 CP/second.

 **Advanced Iryojutsu (Passive)[Level 55 - 68.54%]** \- You are now able to perform surgeries not only in the hospital, but in the battlefield with a higher success rate than failure rate, congratulations, you can now be considered a Doctor, were it not for the fact you kill people for a living - -50% CP cost for Iryojutsu, +55% effectiveness for Iryojutsu

 **Gentle Healing (Active)[Level 50 - MAX]** \- One of the basic healing jutsus used by Konoha ninja, most effective on minor injuries and is ill suited for major injuries. - Heals 50 HP/Second, costs 25/CP per second

 **Observe (Active)[Level 75 - 54.97%] -** The go to skill of all with the power of the Gamer, with this you can see the stats of various items and people around you! - 10 CP/use

 **Sharingan Stage 3 (Active/Passive)[Level 100 - MAX]** \- The so called 'HAX' power of the Naruto World, steal your enemy's jutsu by watching them make their hand seals and throw it back in their faces, plus it'll help you predict their moves and can even trap them in genjutsu while looking through enemy ocular based genjutsu, you can even 'see the future' by predicting the movements of everything in your eyesight have fun, but be warned, opponents with sufficient speed can overcome your predictive abilities!- 25 CP/second when used by non Uchiha, 5 CP/second when used by an Uchiha. +75% DEX when active, can learn opponent's jutsu by watching them form their hand seals, cannot learn elemental kekkei genkai or hiden jutsus.

 **Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan (Active/Passive)[Level 100(MAX)]** \- the highest level of the Sharingan to be obtained, the EMS allows for the user to use their Mangekyou Sharingan abilities without straining their eyesight to the point of blindness, allows for the use of the [ **Susano'o: Complete Form** ]. +250% DEX when active, doubles chakra capacity when acquired, 15 CP/Second

 **Susano'o (Active)[Level - 100(MAX)]** \- Considered to be the ultimate technique available to the Uchiha and the perfect defensive technique, when it is first used it materialized as a skeletal structure, usually a set of ribs for a defensive purpose, but as the user gains more experience, more of the body is formed.

 **Amenonuhoko (Heavenly Jeweled Spear) (Active)[Level N/A]** \- Allows one to freely control the earth and shape it according to one's desires, even changing the very elemental composition. Steep chakra cost.

 **Kamiyonanayo (Seven Generations of the Age of Gods)** \- Right Eye - A Time/Space technique that allows her to repeat a Jutsu that she has used up to seven times. They will be along the same path as the original jutsu.

 **Ama-no Ukihashi (The Floating Bridge of Heaven)** \- Left Eye - Alters the trajectory for Ninjutsu, easier for own jutsus when compared to opponents

 **Mystical Palm (Active)[Level MAX]** \- The standard Iryojutsu of medic shinobi everywhere, the [ **Mystical Palm** ] is one of the most versatile Iryojutsu in circulation, including the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu, it can heal your allies or damage your enemies with creative application, one medic nine was even noting saying 'I can heal my enemies to death' - **Healing** \- 150 HP/second, 5 CP/second. **Damage** \- varied depend on usage

 **[Chakra Scalpel] (Active)[Level MAX]** \- A standard jutsu learned by both the medical profession and the interrogators, this jutsu is capable of cutting solely what the user wishes to cut and nothing else, including targeted organs and leaving the skin intact. - Varied depending on usage

 **[Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel] (Active) [Level 50 - 37.14%] -** An improvised technique combining the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] jutsu with the [ **Chakra Flow** ] technique, drastically increasing its cutting ability on organic materials as well as being able to choose what organic material is cut. +75 Damage against organic targets, selection of what organic target cut

 **[Sharingan: Genjutsu] (Active) [Level 33 - 63.98%]** \- An illusionary technique utilizing the sharingan as a medium, the [ **Sharingan: Genjutsu** ] allows the user to influence the target when they meet the user's eyes. - Lower levels are restricted to minor illusions while higher levels are able to induce a hypnotic state in their target

 **[Chakra Flow: Neutral Chakra] (Active) [Level 42 - 0.00%]** \- a versatile technique used by many weapon wielding shinobi and samurai to enhanced their weapons in the field, different types of chakra can cause various effects, but neutral chakra simply enhances the damage and durability by a moderate amount **-** +25 Damage, +25% durability, 20 CP/Second

 **[Fire Release: Chakra Flow] (Active)[Level 49 - 31.58%]** \- Chakra Flow using Fire Natured Chakra, causes the weapon to be enveloped by flames, higher levels allow for greater manipulation of said flames - +50 - 250 fire damage, 50% chance of applying [ **Burning** ] status to target

[ **Fire Release: Blazing Skull** ] **(Active) [Level 40 - 45.91%]** \- Five Seals,

[ **Water Release: Water Mantle** ] **(Active)** **[Level 40 - 11.94%]** \- three seals

 **Fire Release: Crimson Flames** (Level 58 - 92.76%) **-** User unleashes a flamethrower of crimson red flames from her mouth. High chance of inflicting **[Burn].**

 **Fire Release: Crimson Orb** (Level 43 - 0.97%) **-** User fires a fist-size orb of crimson fire that explodes on impact. Flames have a high chance for crits and for inflicting **[Burn].**

 **Water Release: Mantle of the Blue Dragon (upgraded version of Water Mantle)** (Level 63- 60.97%) **-** The user is shrouded in a cape made of highly condensed water that protects the user from harm. Reduce damage from Fire ninjutsu by 50%, lower chance of receiving critical hits while active.

 **Water Release: High Pressure Bullet** (Level 40 - 75.92%) **-** A more powerful version of the Water Style: Liquid Bullet Jutsu, the amount of water in each bullet is equal to a water tower and is fired as fast as an actual bullet. Fires 2-3 bullets at once.

[ **Water Release: Chakra Flow** ] (Level 43 - 0.97%) - Releases water chakra along the blade that then extends out to strike in a whip like fashion

[ **Wind Release: Great Breakthrough** ](Level 36 - 6.32%) - creates a powerful blast of wind to knock enemies back or send objects flying.

[ **Fire Release: Great Flame Annihilation** ] (Level 59 - 21.88%) - User unleashes a massive swath of flames in front of them. Guarantees [ **Burning** ] status

[ **Earth Release: Rock Gun** ] (Level 24 - 10.07%) - user shoots up to twelve pebbles out of their mouth that then grow in size, size varies on level

[ **Susano'o: Chakra Flow Scalpel - Straight Slash** ] - Using the [ **Susano'o** ] as a medium for the [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] the user swings a single slash in a vertical fashion.

[ **Earth Release: Self-Curdling Island** ] ( **Active** ) ( **Level 24 - 23.98%** ) - A unique jutsu created by Yuriko Uchiha that uses the power of **Amenonuhoko** to manipulate a massive amount of earth into the air, forming into a massive island shape that is then launched at the enemy.

[ **Water Release: Foam Island** ] ( **Active** ) ( **Level 22 - 35.47%)** \- The user uses their chakra to create a mass of bubbles that are formed together, when a single bubble explodes it will cause a chain reaction creating a massive concussive explosion strong enough to liquify the organs of normal humans.

[ **Fire Release: Flame Sunray** ]( **Active** ) ( **Level 29 - 65.50%)** \- The user concentrates flames as hot as the surface as the sun into a single javelin that is then thrown at the enemy, usage of this technique requires mastery of a heat barrier jutsu.

 **PERKS**

 **Sealmaster -** Hey, they use Fuuinjutsu seal Bijuu, would you really want to fuck with someone that has turned that art into an art of their own? - +50% EXP bonus to Fuuinjutsu

 **With this sword of mine -** You've always enjoyed the way the light dances off the edge of a sword, some even think you like it even more with the blood of your enemies coating it. - +50% EXP gain to Kenjutsu skills

 **Medic Nin -** 'You don't FUCK with the white mage' you heal your friends and destroy your enemies organs, now you just need to remember where you left your watch! - +100% EXP gain to Iryojutsu, but enemies will try to target you first

 **Feel the Burn! -** Fire has always warmed people in the cold nights, chased predators away with its light, and burned your enemies to ash! You little pyro you, fire is your go to weapon of choice when it comes to dealing with your enemies. Start with Natural Fire Affinity, +50% EXP Gain with Fire ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Natural Fire Affinity -** Your chakra has always burned bright, now it's time to show the world just how much by releasing it in white hot flames! - 15% chakra cost reduction to fire ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Natural Water Affinity - -** 15% chakra cost reduction to water ninjutsu and nature manipulation

 **Gamer's Body -** Your body is that of a Video Game Character… somewhat at least - You recover HP and CP when sleeping - 100% in your bed, 75% in someone else's, 50% in a sleeping bag or tent, 25% on the ground or in the trees

 **Gamer's Mind -** Your have the mind of an RPG Gamer, so keep your calm and make some wise choices… hopefully. You are able to calm yourself more easily, but be careful, extreme emotional distress can still affect you.

 **War Veteran -** You have walked through the gates of hell and have come out changed, but you have learned skills that you will carry with you forever, and people will always respect he sacrifice you made. +25% to EXP gains in combat, +25% to reputation gains

 **Hokage's Bodyguard -** You are one of a select few trusted enough to guard the leader of your village. Access to Hiraijin Flying Thunder Formation and +25% to all reputation gains with all factions within Konohagakure

 **Intellectual** \- Given upon reaching 100 in INT stat -50% Chakra Cost for all chakra based techniques

 **The Wise** \- Given upon reaching 100 in WIS stat - +50% CP regeneration in combat


	24. Chapter 21: Graduation at Last

**MANDATORY QUEST!**

 **Give aid to the Kirigakure Bloodline Rebellion**

 **OBJECTIVE  
Ensure the Rebels emerge victorious against the Loyalists -Completed**

 **REWARD  
+50,000 EXP, +15,000 Reputation with the Reformed Kirigakure, 1,000,000 Ryo**

 **BONUS OBJECTIVE  
Kill the Yondaime Mizukage Yagura - Completed  
Help reseal the Sanbi - Completed  
Ensure the survival of at least 75% of the Rebel Forces - Completed**

 **REWARD  
+25,000 EXP, 250,000 Ryo, 5,000 Rep with Kirigakure  
+20,000 EXP, +2,500 Rep with the Bijuu  
Given [Kushizashi, the Impaling Sword] by the Rebels**

 **You have Leveled up!**

 **You have Leveled up!**

* * *

I sighed as I closed the window, my eyes dropping to my new kodachi. It was an inch or so longer than the standard type of kodachi, and it had a very odd tsuba, almost like an 'S', with the blade in the center of the letter. The hilt was wrapped in white and pale blue cloth. Overall, it seemed...ordinary. Too ordinary for something with a name like 'Kushizashi'.

 **[Kushizashi, the Impaling Sword]**

 **A prototype sword made by the master swordsmiths who created the Seven Swords of the Mist, Kushizashi was produced as a proof of concept for a couple of the Seven Swords, Kubikiribocho and Samehada. It was relegated to storerooms as not being impressive enough to match the abilities of the true Seven Swords, but in the right hands, this sword can kill a Kage.**

 **Its special ability is to extend up to a hundred times its own length in ten seconds, retracting the same length in the same amount of time. It does this by consuming the user's chakra, although there are chakra storage seals in the hilt that allow the wielder to store chakra there beforehand to offset this weakness. The strike of this sword is fast enough to come and go before the target or anyone around them realises what is happening.**

It was a rather amazing weapon to be completely honest, and it wouldn't take very long for me to integrate it into my fighting style, plus it gave me an unexpecting ranged weapon with its ability to extend itself.

All in all, it was a perfect replacement for [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] and _really_ made me wonder about my Gamer power. I mean, the timing of getting this was almost perfect having just lost my last weapon. I still missed my second sword though. It had served me well over the years and I had been sentimental enough to retrieve the remains of the blade and hilt from the battlefield.

Shaking my head, I kept moving and opened my Status window to assigned the stat points that I acquired, bumping both of my STR and VIT to 100 and gaining the associated perks.

* * *

 **You have acquired the Perk 'A Strong Body' for reaching 100 STR**

 **A Strong Body** \- All melee attack damage is increased by 10%

 **You have acquired the Perk 'A Durable Body' for reaching 100 VIT**

 **A Durable Body** \- All Physical Damage reduced by 10%

* * *

Huh, helpful. I closed the windows and looked ahead, smiling happily as I saw the building the Uchiha Clan resided in. "Home," I whispered to myself as I leapt up to the balcony of my apartment.

"NEE-CHAN!" two excited voiced chorused in unison as a pair of yellow and black blurs slammed into me, revealing themselves to be Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun.

"Hey you two," I greeted them warmly, hugging my brothers tightly. "Missed me I take it?"

"Of course!" Naruto-kun affirmed with a nod, not relenting in his tight hug as he buried his face into my waist.

"I'm glad you're back," Sasuke-kun admitted reluctantly, even though he didn't back away from the hug either. In the time I'd been away, they'd grown a bit taller. Sasuke-kun had that hairstyle that he'd had for most of his early career as a shinobi in the original timeline. Naruto-kun's sunny hair almost shone in the daylight. They were getting close to graduation.

"W-Welcome back, Yuriko-sama." little Hinata-chan greeted me. Evidently the three had been having a playdate. Or a study session?

"Hinata, cut out the '-sama' will you?" I teased her by tapping her on the nose, making her eyes cross slightly. "I think I've told you that before."

"Y-you did… Y-Yuriko-sam… san," Hinata-chan relented under my stern motherly gaze, flushing in embarrassment.

I smiled cheerfully at the shy girl before righting myself and looking over to where Roshi was standing, an amused look on his face, with Madoka-chan.

"Mama!" Madoka-chan squealed out happily as she reached for me.

"Madoka-chan!" I replied with a squeal of my own, not that I would _ever_ admit that to _anyone_ and anyone who said I _did_ squeal will experience pain, before taking my daughter into my arms and nuzzled her cheerfully as she squealed happily in response. "Oh how I missed you all!"

"Welcome home," Roshi greeted, his bearded face splitting into a grin as he pecked my cheek.

"I'm back," I greeted in return, giving him a special smile before Madoka-chan tugging on my hair brought my attention back to her.

I was where I belonged, with my family.

* * *

"Entend!" I commanded as I swung [ **Kushizashi** ], the blade growing out to several times its length as it cut through a [ **Rage Gator** ] in the [ **Furybound Bog** ], the 26th training ground. "Retract."

The kodachi followed my command and withdrew to its normal size as I flipped out of the way of another [ **Rage Gator** ]. "Extend," I announced as the kodachi followed my command, driving itself through the beast's skull as my [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] scrambled its brains, killing it.

 **You have killed two [Rage Gators]!  
5,000 EXP gained, 2,500 Ryo and 2 [Gatorskins] acquired and looted.**

I let out a sigh as I rolled my shoulders and looked around the area I was in, standing atop of the water of the bog. "It's a good sword," I muttered to myself as I looked down at [ **Kushizashi** ] with a speculative eye. " _Very_ receptive to my chakra… as you'd expect of a prototype of Samehada."

I could see what the designers had been testing with it. Samehada's ability to absorb chakra and Kubikiribocho's ability to create metal were both present, although I had no idea _how_ Kushizashi created that metal. Kubikiribocho didn't _make_ metal, per-se; it extracted the iron from the blood of those whom it cut. _This_ was metal being made of nothing but chakra. How the _hell_ had the sealmasters who had designed this sword's seals accomplished _that_? It was almost like Steel Release.

A deep growling made me sigh as I shelved the thought for a moment and looked over my shoulder as a massive monster of an Alligator looked down at me, easily _ten times_ the size of a normal gator, it's once green scales now bearing red markings on it.

 **[Kyuubi Mutated Gator King]  
HP: 10,000 CP: 10,000**

Well, that's a thing. I let out a small sigh as I used my [ **Inaba Flicker** ] to make some distance between myself and the boss monster as it tried to bite me. "Y'know, I would've been scared if I came across you a few years ago," I sighed as I flickered away from a blast of red tinted water. "But after this last mission… you just don't match up…"

Flickering away I appeared above him on a tree branch as I flipped through my hand seals. "[ **Fire Release: Sunray Flame** ]," I announced as I formed the javelin of fire that broke _all_ the laws of thermodynamics and the rules of the universe.

"Let's see how much _this_ does," I said sardonically before throwing the Javelin at the boss monster, the creature roaring before the Javelin struck.

Well… maybe I shouldn't have used it in the middle of a place that had a high level of water… steam burns _hurt_.

" _Fuck_ ," I hissed out in pain as I ran a glowing green hand along my body, only my quick thinking and summoning of the ribcage of my [ **Susano'o** ] saved me from death by steam explosion, seriously, I'm a Jonin, I _should_ know better by this point, but no… I _still_ do stupid things…

 **[Kyuubi Mutated Gator King] killed  
+9,500 EXP, 5,000 Ryo, [Gator Skin Vest] looted and placed in Inventory **

**You have gained a level**

 **You usage of High ranked Fire Ninjutsu when it wasn't needed gained you the 'Firebug' Perk!**

 **Firebug -** You use Fire ninjutsu like it's going out of style, so much so that you've been declared a fire hazard no matter where you are, although few can dispute your effectiveness with the art. - +25% Damage when using Fire Ninjutsu

"That's not necessary…" I whined as I looked at the box. "You saw the size of it, I think I was _completely_ within my rights to use S-ranked Fire ninjutsu… on something that I outleveled by at least 20 levels…" I let out a sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Well… better than dropping a Meteor on it I suppose…"

I remembered Madara's bullshit jutsu that summoned meteors in the Fourth War and grimaced. Might have to think about a way to counter that if I screwed up and actually let Kabuto survive longer than was strictly necessary.

Which… would only be until the Chunin exams if I had any say in it, which considering my level of strength, I probably did. The man may _claim_ to be at least as strong as Kakashi, but I highly doubt that was actually the case as, despite his stamina issues, Kakashi was _deadly_ when he got serious and didn't waste time to simply kill people that were in his way.

He _was_ an ANBU captain after all.

Kabuto wouldn't reach Kakashi-levels of strength until _after_ Orochimaru died, timeline wise, but he wouldn't have the chance. Sneaky as he was, I was still stronger than him by a large margin.

I rolled my shoulders and looked myself over, making sure that all of my injuries from _my own_ ninjutsu were dealt with before I began heading for the exit to the field, now that the boss was dealt with I could get my clearing reward and head home to get started on dinner, needed to get the boys ready, tomorrow was the graduation exams after all!

* * *

I hummed a bit to myself as I walked through the streets of Konohagakure, greeting familiar faces as Madoka-chan babbled away cheerfully, something told me my daughter was going to be quite the social butterfly and motor mouth when she was older considering how much she loved to talk as it was, even if it was in broken sentences.

I apparently _needed_ to get out, according to my husband, before I wore out the floorboards with my impatient pacing around the apartment as I waited until I could go and pick up Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun from the Academy to see how they did in the exam.

So, with my loving husband ushering me out of the door while my mother handled the celebratory decorations - there was no question of them passing to my mother - I decided that I would run a couple of errands that I wanted to do.

Starting with visiting Suguro's to check on an order I had made.

"Yuriko-chan!" the blacksmith greeted with a beaming grin as I walked into the shop. "And Little Madoka-chan!"

"Susu!" Madoka-chan cried out happily with her nickname for the large man who took it in good humour.

"Here to check on your order?" he asked for confirmation, getting a nod from me in return. "Well, perfect timing, because they're all finished, put a rush on it since you told me what you wanted them for."

With that he brought out a pair of weapons, a tanto and a chokuto, a weapon for both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun as congratulatory gifts for their graduation. "Like use asked, I worked in the metal from [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] into both of them," Suguro explained. "And they're both made using a similar metal so there shouldn't be any weakness in the metal as a result."

I smiled as I looked the two blades over carefully, making sure to keep them out of range of Madoka's grasp as I inspected them. "Did you name them yet?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

The smith shook his head, a knowing look on his face. "I think you'd be the best for naming them," he assured me with a wink, getting a chuckle from me.

"I suppose so," I agreed as he sheathed the blades and wrapped them up in a covering for me to carry. "Thank you for your work, Suguro."

"No worries! Just make sure the brats take good care of the weapons," he replied as I headed for the door. "And warn them that I'll tan their hides if they break them!"

"Don't worry I will!" I assured with a small laugh as I left the shop, placing the wrapped package in a seal on my jacket before continuing on my way. Kakashi and Jiraiya had been such _lazy bastards_ in the original timeline that they hadn't taught Naruto how to do anything other than brawl and use the Kyuubi's power. Ditto with Sasuke and his Chidori.

Not on _my_ watch. Sasuke had been taught some chokuto kata by a member of the clan I trusted, Megumi, who had specialised in the use of the odd sword type before retiring to raise her family. A former Uchiha ANBU, Hifumi, had started Naruto on a few basic tanto kata as well. Once they were proper genin, I could get their teachers really start training them in earnest.

If Kakashi thought he could simply just read his porn and teach them almost nothing… he was _wrong_.

I chuckled to myself, feeling my shoulders relax as I walked through the streets of my home village while I made my way to the park to play with Madoka-chan for a while.

I let out a small sigh as I stood outside of the Academy, looking up at the building with a fond smile, remembering the time when I was on the other side, coming out to see my family waiting for me with proud smiles on their faces.

Looking down, I listened to the idle chatter of the mothers around me as Tsume-san walked up and struck up a conversation while we waited to find out the results, Tsume-san being particularly interested about my mission to Kirigakure. It was a rather nice opportunity to speak with the feral looking woman outside of the usual Shinobi Council meetings who actually had a rather fun sense of humor, her rendition of meeting her departed husband had me giggling uncontrollably.

Soon enough, however, students began filtering out one by one, some bearing the leaf hitai-ate, some not. I was told of where Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun lay when the pair bolted out of the academy doors and glomped me with happy cheers. "Good job you two!" I congratulated the two of them as we hugged. "Oh, I'm just so _proud_ of the two of you!" I said excitedly as Madoka-chan gabbered on, caught up in the excitement of the moment though she didn't understand it.

The hitai-ate on their foreheads made me feel both happy and sad at the same time. They were growing up and I couldn't stand between them and the world so much anymore; they had to fight their own battles from here on out. They were, after all, the main characters of this story. They had to fight people of godlike strength in this world...and I had to let them.

Well, I would certainly protect them as much as I could whilst trying not to stifle them with over-mothering them.

"Come on, we've got something waiting for you two at home," I told the two with a wide smile, getting cheers of excitement from the pair.

I smiled as they led the way to our home, they were _so_ different from canon, Naruto-kun was lovable as always, but he was calmer, his energy was channeled into more productive things. Sasuke-kun still was quiet, but that was more because of his personality rather than psychological issues he had. They were also _very_ good friends, brothers in all but blood, not to mention their interactions with Sakura-chan, who was learning Iryojutsu from me, and Hinata-chan, who had been friends with them since childhood.

All in all, the world was a _vastly_ different place from what I remembered, hell I don't even know what Orochimaru and the Akatsuki are planning, my actions could have caused their plans to change, most of the world was allied with one another in some shape or form, notably Konoha and Iwa, two of the stronger shinobi villages around.

The Butterfly Effect was really a bitch, because now I had as little idea about what Obito would do as anyone else. I certainly had an advantage because I knew the bastard was _still alive_ , but how he would react given the radical differences in the socio-political landscape of the Elemental Nations compared to the original timeline was beyond me. Until I had proof that things were changing though, I was going to assume that Akatsuki was still being used as patsies for Obito and Madara and that they were going through all the motions that they had been in the original timeline.

Out of the nine Jinchuuriki I knew of, the most vulnerable ones were Fu-chan from Takigakure and Han-san when he was alone in Iwa. Gaara-kun would be safe for a while, and Yugito Ni'i-san and Killer Bee-san were able to cover for each other unless Unruly Ay was stupid enough to send them out on seperate missions. Roshi and Naruto-kun were in Konoha and safe, while Utakata-san was wandering somewhere in the Nations and the new Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi was being taught about his abilities by the Bijuu himself in the middle of Kirigakure, although he was far too young to fight, and Mei knew not to try and deploy him or Han-san, Roshi and I would kick her ass.

In Akatsuki, the ones that I felt _had_ to be either turned or eliminated were Itachi, Kisame, Konan and Pein. Those four were the strongest among them, as well as the linchpins of the group. Take them away and Akatsuki would cease to be an issue as a cohesive group. Obito… now there was a conundrum. He had murdered Minato-sama and Kushina-san, even if it wasn't by his hands. He had orphaned Naruto-kun and had twisted Itachi as well, I have no doubt. Still, even _he_ was a puppet at the hands of Madara, who was then a puppet at the hands of _Black Zetsu_.

OK, Zetsu had to die too. The original Naruto had been too kind when he had sealed him away with Kaguya. Besides, there was no way I was going to allow the Rabbit Goddess the chance to get unsealed in the first place.

"Nee-chan?" Naruto-kun's voice broke me out of my thoughts. He was looking up at me in concern. "You got all frowny."

"Nothing you need to worry about, Naruto-kun," I told him, a smile coming into place on my face. "Just some odds and ends that need to be handled, but they can wait for tomorrow."

Naruto-kun tilted his head a bit in response and looked at me carefully before nodding in acceptance and giving me a brilliant smile.

I felt a slight pang in my heart as the brilliant smile that was a perfect mixture of Minato-sama's warm acceptance and Kushina-san's energy was aimed at me, but I pushed the pain away to smile back at my little brother and ruffled Sasuke-kun's hair, getting an annoyed squawk of displeasure from him as we made our way home.

The party we had thrown for the pair was a fun little affair, the entirety of the clan joining in to celebrate their success in graduating, even as we kept quiet about the _real_ genin exam coming up for them. It was traditional really, only reason _I_ had been able to skip it was because of the war that was going on and the need for more combat capable shinobi.

But, the real highlight of the party for me, was when I gave them their gift. "These, are for the two of you," I told them as I passed the packages to them. "Go ahead, open them up."

The two quickly tore away the simple wrapping that covered the blades, their eyes widening as they saw the sheaths. "The two of you are now genin, and while that may mean you are an adult, it _doesn't_ mean that you are not with your family," I told the pair, kneeling so that we were of a closer eye level. "These blades have pieces of [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] forged into them."

The eyes on the two widened as they looked at me, jaws a little slack. "Nee-chan… I…" Sasuke-kun started, looking lost as to the proper words he wanted to speak.

"As long as you wield these blades, a part of me, and my experiences as a shinobi forged in war, will be standing along with you." I continued softly. "You are _never_ alone even without these, but this...this is a more tangible connection that you can grasp with your hands. Sasuke-kun, your blade is called Takahane, or Hawk Feather. Naruto-kun, your weapon is called Kogane, or Arc Steel. [ **Tsuki no Usagi** ] was forged into them, as I said, which makes them chakra conductive. May they serve you well, my little brothers."

The two brothers stared at me in wide-eyed awe before looking down at their gifted weapons. I suddenly found two pairs of arms wrapped around my as my brothers launched themselves into my arms. I couldn't help the laughter that spilled from my mouth as I hugged them tightly in response.

This was what I wanted in life, to bring happiness to my family.

Shaking my head of those thoughts, I brought my focus back to the reason we were celebrating, the graduation of my little brothers.

* * *

In a tavern in a seedier part of Konoha, Mizuki Toji glowered at a glass of strong alcohol. He was majorly pissed at the moment due to the graduation of That Thing as a ninja. The thrice-accursed Demon Fox was now a ninja! What on _earth_ was the Hokage _thinking?!_

When he had become a Chunin Instructor at the Academy, he had planned on subtly sabotaging the curriculum, as per the orders of his master, Orochimaru, as well as seriously sabotaging the Demon Brat's education as a ninja. Because _fuck_ the demon.

That plan had gone down the toilet rather quickly thanks to Yuriko _Fucking_ Uchiha. She had taken one look at the 'amended' curriculum during her visit and raised high hell with the Hokage. That had caused a lot of his patsies and unsuspecting catspaws among the civilians to be given a slap on the wrist, meaning he'd have to be more sparing in using them, dammit.

To top it off, the idiot who had been the Academy's Headmaster, as well as several other teachers who had supported him, had been sacked and reduced in rank to genin...permanently. Their replacements had been told in no uncertain terms to not try anything foolish again, or else.

The Academy had also been under increasing scrutiny, meaning there was no way in hell to accomplish either of his goals, not if he wanted to remain under the radar of the security forces in Konohagakure. So, being a smart man, he had manned up and acted like the consummate professional that he was pretending to be.

' _That Uchiha bitch though...she kept looking at me like I was a shuriken target…_ ' he shuddered at the memory of her flashing her Sharingan at him shortly after the Academy had been restructured again. He had felt like he was in front of Orochimaru-sama again, like a mouse under the gaze of a snake.

He knew of all of Yuriko Uchiha's legendary exploits during the Third Great Shinobi War, as well as most of her activities since then. Her most recent triumph, defeating the Yondaime Mizukage, who had also been a Demon, alongside one of Iwa's Demons, had made the rumour mill faster than you could say kunai. If there was a grain of truth to the rumour, as all rumours had at their core, then she had altered the landscape just as the Shodai and Uchiha Madara had during their infamous battle that had created the valley of the End.

No, he could _not_ let that woman even suspect that he was an enemy agent. He'd last longer against the Third Hokage than against her.

"You're a hard man to track down, Mizuki-kun." a smooth voice said as a silver-haired man sat opposite him.

"Kabuto." Mizuki grumbled. "Whaddya want?"

"That's not nice, Mizuki-kun." his contact with Orochimaru scolded him. "Especially since the one who failed his mission is _you_. Care to explain yourself?"

So the blue-haired man launched into a quiet, but passionate, rant about the Bane of His Existence and The Demon Brat. How even attempting any kind of interference would have caused enough scrutiny to make his position as a spy worthless to descend upon him. How it could all be traced back to one woman.

"That is...quite the tale, Mizuki-kun." Kabuto said after a moment. "I'm sure you'll pardon my scepticism and the fact I'll be double-checking everything you've told me."

"Go ahead." the Chunin grunted. "Everyone and their grandmother will tell you the same thing. I am not afraid of having my story double-checked here."

"Evidently so." the bespectacled man nodded slowly. "Well then, until I inform you otherwise, keep your head down. Our mutual acquaintance is not one who suffers fools easily, and you have been good at keeping your head down thus far. He rewards good service."

With that, he stood up and left.

' _That guy creeps the living hell outta me._ ' Mizuki shuddered and got up to leave as well. He didn't finish his drink, as meeting with his contact had soured the idea of drinking any more.

Kabuto smiled to himself as he left the tavern. He was more than reasonably fond of Yuriko Uchiha, as she had killed that old fossil Danzo. Now the fact that he had been tricked into killing his old guardian, Nono, had been avenged completely. Orochimaru-sama was also very interested in her, both for her skill as a medic and as a possible host body. The Snake Sannin had tried to capture Itachi to use as a body, but had been utterly defeated in the attempt.

Yuriko, however, had several usable levers that Itachi did not. Her husband, her daughter, Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun...oh, there were many tools with which to convince and coerce her to submit. She WOULD need to be convinced though. Orochimaru-sama had told him of the battle between Yuriko and Han versus Yagura and how even his Eight-Headed Serpent Jutsu wouldn't have been enough to guarantee victory over her.

So, convincing and blackmailing it would have to be.

' _Sorry Yuriko-sama, but it is in my master's opinion that you become the foundation of his new, more powerful form._ ' the silver-haired medic smirked again as he walked into the shadows of a building and vanished.

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 79  
 **EXP** : 9,047/39,500 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 135 (202) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254

 **NEW PERKS**

 **A Strong Body** \- All melee attack damage is increased by 10%

 **A Durable Body** \- All Physical Damage reduced by 10%


	25. Chapter 22: The New Generation steps up

I let out a soft breath as I sat in the middle of a small training field, my focus turned inwards as I began to experiment with my chakra. Specifically, separating the Yin and Yang aspects of my chakra, which… was _not_ easy. The human body had evolved _to_ mix the two aspects together, diluting their potency to allow it to be used safely. There were some clans that had a bit of a tilted balance, like the Nara clan who had a balance in favor towards Yin Release, or the Senju who leaned towards the Yang Release.

I _knew_ it was possible to use yin and yang chakra separately, Kokuo had shown me that pretty plainly with the use of the Bijuudama. I was trying to seperate my Yin and Yang chakra from each other, specifically the Yang aspect in a bid to enhance my medical jutsu.

And progress was… _painfully_ slow.

It was not easy reversing a natural process of the body in a way that _wouldn't_ kill me doing so. But on the upside, it was a rather good practice for chakra control.

Letting out a sigh I opened my eyes as I came out of my meditative state. "There _has_ to be something I'm missing with this," I grunted as I stood up properly, stretching out my body as I prepared to continue with my training. "It's possible, I _know_ it is, so why can't I do it?"

It was honestly rather frustrating that I was hitting a stumbling block with this. It wasn't the first time I had an issue with a new technique or new training, but even then, I never completely stalled out in it like this… it was… rather irksome to be honest.

Shaking my head I pushed the thoughts out of my head as I worked on my next project, combining the principles of Minato-sama's Rasengan with the chakra scalpel.

It wasn't as easy as it seemed to be on paper. Yes, both techniques were raw chakra given shape and form, but with one little slip up while combining the pair, I almost lost my arm. On the plus side, I now have a general idea of what putting an arm in a blender feels like.

It hurts, a lot.

The three steps of forming the Rasengan were rotation, power and containment. All of those combined were what gave the jutsu the sheer power that had made Minato-sama feared in close quarters combat. I had, rather arrogantly, thought that my baseline knowledge of the three steps that I had learned in my former life would be enough to make it through this jutsu creation without a hitch.

Thus the arm blender incident.

I had received quite the scolding from Roshi for that. Suitably chastised, I had gone back to basics and learned the Rasengan myself. I admit to have borrowed the original timeline Naruto's idea regarding the usefulness of Shadow Clones in this, but only until I had levelled the [ **Rasengan** ] to Level 10. After that, I could perform it one-handed.

Now I was ready to try to combine the two jutsu again, this time with a much, much better understanding of both jutsu.

Taking in a deep breath, I formed the [ **Rasengan** ] in my hand, giving it a nostalgic look before focusing as I began to form a [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] in the same hand, using the principle of the [ **Chakra Flow** ] to meld the two justus together without them blowing up in my face.

It was… difficult to say the least, adding in a new component to the [ **Rasengan** ], especially given that it was the highest level of Shape Manipulation already. I had studied it a bit and deduced that increasing the size of the area to be compressed would diffuse the power slightly, but that would be made up for with the added effect of the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ]. How the canon timeline Naruto had managed to create the Oodama Rasengan was a bit beyond me.

I swallowed tightly as the sphere began to bulge and shift a bit as the cutting chakra of the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] was pushed into it. It swelled a bit, growing to a size about maybe half again as large as it normally was before it settled into a stable size and shape, making me let out a sigh of relief.

Well… guess it's time to test it…

I looked at a nearby tree before charging forward and thrusted the ball of chakra into it.

The regular [ **Rasengan]** ground things into dust.

This modified [ **Rasengan** ] however?

It shredded it _completely_.

The trunk of the tree exploded as I pushed the ball of chakra into it. It seems like the addition of the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] made every single swirl of chakra in the ball that gave it it's signature shape, into a scalpel thin blade of chakra.

This… was _not_ going to help improve the bloody aspect of my reputation at all. And this bloody thing wasn't even fully complete!

Yeah, this form of it was devastating, but I could _feel_ it in the way the jutsu worked, it was incomplete. Kinda like how the original [ **Rasengan** ] was an incomplete jutsu, it was lacking something that would fully complete it.

Frowning, I stepped away from the wreck of the tree and folded my arms as I contemplated what it could be missing. It definitely wasn't an elemental component, while that had been Minato-sama's original intent with the [ **Rasengan** ], there was just so much _more_ that could be added into it with who knows _what_ kind of effects to enhance it.

Not to mention the malleability of the [ **Rasengan** ] itself. In canon, Naruto was able to shape it in accordance to the situation, so…

I paused as an idea struck me, granted it didn't seem like it would be the thing it was missing… but…

My eyes narrowed as I began forming the new [ **Rasengan** ] once again, but instead of forcing it into its basic form, I allowed it to shift and change its shape, only keeping the two techniques from imploding on one another.

The result… actually surprised me as the formerly sphere like jutsu took the shape of a sword… _somehow_. Don't look at me like that, jutsus are weird at the _best_ of times.

Letting out a sigh I turned to another tree and experimentally slashed my chakra constructed sword at it. The chakra sword maintained its shape, surprisingly - most offensive jutsu being a 'one-and-done deal'. The tree on the other hand…

Imagine if you will… someone decided to make a sword, into a drill, and then still used said weapon as a sword. Aside from being _very_ impractical, the result would be basically what my sword shaped [ **Rasengan** ] accomplished, it wasn't _just_ a single slash, it was a continuous shredding within the single motion of a slash.

My new chakra sword still wasn't on the same level as Naruto's thrown [ **Wind Release:** **Rasenshuriken** ] would be, but it was scary enough that I instantly classified it as a Low S-Rank Jutsu, while the completed elemental form of the [ **Rasengan** ] was definitely a Mid-S-Rank.

* * *

 **You have created a new Jutsu! [Rasenken - Level 1 - 0.00%] - A fusion of the Yondaime's Rasengan and the Chakra Scalpel, creating a chakra sword that is capable of shredding almost anything it cuts into pieces. Even armour is of no help before this jutsu, as it retains some of the chakra scalpels' ability to cut through an object. All armour is reduced by 50% when faced with this jutsu.**

* * *

I let the chakra construct dissipate as I ceased the flow of chakra before I reformed it again, repeating the process several times to ensure I had it down for when I needed to call upon it in battle.

"Nee-san!" a familiar voice broke me from my concentration from my training as I allowed my chakra to rest in a natural state as Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun came flying into the training ground. "We've been looking for you!" Naruto-kun called out in his usual cheerful manner.

"Well, it seems you found me," I commented dryly. "Be more careful when entering training grounds that are in use though; I was throwing around an S-Rank jutsu until just a moment ago. I don't need to tell you what could have happened if you'd walked in on that, do I?"

The gulps that the pair of them made told me I had made my point.

"So, what is it you needed me for?" I asked after a moment.

"Oh right! We got a C-ranked mission!" Naruto-kun declared happily, beaming at me before frowning a bit. "But our client's a drunk!"

"He tried insulting Naruto's ability because of his height…" Sasuke-kun grumbled, looking away with a frown as he folded his arms.

I smiled warmly at the two. "Well, you get clients like that, unfortunately," I informed the pair patiently. "So it's an escort mission, I take it?"

"Yeah! We've gotta escort Tazuna-ji-san to his home in Nami no Kuni and then protect him while he finishes a bridge or something." Naruto-kun nodded excitedly.

The Wave Mission... _great_. My meddling in the timeline had just thrown a spanner in the works here. Zabuza Momochi and his apprentice, Haku Yuki, had returned to Kirigakure not long after the death of Yagura. With them out of play, there was no telling _who_ that rat bastard Gato would hire. There were several missing nin that I could think of from the canon timeline who even _Kakashi_ would have a hard time with.

Such as any member of Akatsuki. Fortunately, if the filler arcs were anything approaching accurate, right about now, Akatsuki was busy either trying to track down Orochimaru, who had fled after trying and failing to grab Itachi's body, or building up their reputation by taking mercenary work. Fingers crossed, they wouldn't be _near_ Nami no Kuni.

"A C-Rank means you'll be facing bandits at worst." I mused aloud. "But what does a ninja plan for, boys?"

"The unexpected." my two little brothers chorused in unison. That was something I had beaten into their heads with every lesson I gave them. Prepare first for what you're supposed to expect, and then prepare for the unexpected.

"That's correct," I confirmed, smiling at them proudly. "Come on, let's go home and get started on packing your things, I'll get started on something special for dinner to celebrate your first C-rank."

"Awesome!" Naruto-kun shouted eagerly as he lept into the air energetically. Even Sasuke-kun smirked softly. For whatever reason, I seem to be a very tolerable cook in this lifetime, which was a full 180 from how it was in my first life.

I smiled warmly at the pair and ruffled their hair affectionately, making Naruto-kun laugh as Sasuke-kun scowled slightly, turning his head to hide his blush before we headed off towards our home.

"Welcome home!" my mother greeted as we landed on the balcony entrance.

"Mama!" Madoka-chan cheered happily from her playpen as she stood up, holding her hands out to me.

"Madoka-chan!" I returned cheerfully, picking up my daughter and hugged her as she squealed happily, making me smile brightly as she nuzzled into my neck. Really now, this daughter of mine was just too adorable for words.

"Yuriko." Roshi greeted me. "Han just wrote to tell us he'll be heading over this way again for a visit and he was wondering if there was anything we needed or wanted as he was passing."

And people say that Han's scary. _Pfft_. The man's a big softy once you get to know him. He doted on Madoka-chan like a godfather should, and whenever he came over to visit, he brought along regional specialties and the like sealed up in storage scrolls as gifts.

"Hmmm...some of that lovely nabe that he brought last time would be nice." I mused as I held my daughter in my arms and bounced her. Really, it was getting to the point that I'd have to start training her soon. My, how time flies...

Roshi chuckled in amusement as he nodded in understanding. "I'll let him know then," he replied. "Also, I'll be away on a mission for the next week, escorting a merchant to Taki no Kuni."

"Oh?" I replied, smiling at him with a raised eyebrow. "So your just leaving me all alone to raise Madoka-chan as you run off with some kunoichi?" I asked him teasingly, getting a humorous smile in response.

"Well, you know how I am, I just can't handle the responsibility that comes with children," he said with a dramatic sigh. "Not to mention being with just _one_ woman is a tiring experience."

I let out a snort as I lightly smacked his arm. "Oh _fine_ then," I drawled sarcastically. "Go and have your fun with strange women, see if _I_ will heal anything strange you pick up."

The two of us chuckled as we moved through the house, our daughter babbling happily away to the two of us as I placed her in a high chair to get started on cooking dinner.

I may not know what the future holds anymore, but, when I was with my family, I found myself not caring one bit.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki was of the firm belief that his life was _very_ good.

He had a loving older sister - even if it wasn't by blood, who raised him to be the _most_ kickass ninja _ever_.

He was going to be even better than Yuriko-nee-chan, believe it!

"Hey, Naruto, you got your sealing kit, right?" Sasuke called out to the blond genin, drawing Naruto's attention to his adoptive brother.

"Of course I do," Naruto replied, rolling his eyes at Sasuke. "Nee-chan wouldn't let me out of the house without it! What about you? Remember your ninja wire?"

"I only forgot it once, dobe." the Uchiha rolled his eyes. "And _that_ was barely a week after we started training with it."

As the two almost-brothers bickered, they headed towards the main gate of Konoha, where they were supposed to meet their team. Naruto was glad that Sakura was the kunoichi assigned to them, as his nee-chan had taken her under her wing and taught her a lot about medical ninjutsu and other things, so he knew that she would be a kick-ass medic, believe it!

Hinata would have been good too, but she had been assigned to another team, with Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka. The jonin was a woman called Kurenai Yuhi, and Naruto remembered that his nee-chan had visited the woman and come back with a scowl on her face. Yuriko-nee-chan had muttered something about 'smothering kunoichi' and refused to say anything more.

Weird.

Speaking of weird, Team 7's jonin-sensei was a weirdo as well. He was late a lot of the time, had one of his eyes covered up by his hitai-ate, wore a spandex mask over the lower part of his face and read orange books that Naruto's nee-chan had said he couldn't even look at until he was sixteen.

The silver-haired man was strong though. Not as strong as his nee-chan, but strong enough to cream him, Sasuke and Sakura going almost all-out.

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out as she approached them, and rather than the red dress she wore in the academy she was wearing a pair of long spandex shorts under a pair of somewhat loose short shorts with a sleeveless crimson red short jacket with a black tank top underneath, obviously taking inspiration from Yuriko's own outfit, a simple kodachi strapped to her back with the handle peeking over her left shoulder and large medical pouches were strapped to her lower back, while her long hair was pulled up into a tight bun. "You two ready?"

"Yeah, I guess," Naruto confirmed with a small sigh. "I _hate_ working with drunks, the smell of alcohol always throws me off…"

The curse of having a slightly superior sense of smell compared to the average person. He was privately very relieved that he wasn't an Inuzuka; gods alone knew what that stuff would smell like with their dog-like sense of smell!

Sakura winced in sympathy as the trio began to make their way towards the main gate where they would be departing for their mission from. "Well, hopefully he'll be limiting his drinking on the road since we're going to be walking the entire way," she pointed out hopefully, guarding drunk clients while on the road was a complete nightmare from what Yuriko, Roshi and _many_ others had told them.

Sasuke grunted in agreement as they walked, waving at the occasional acquaintance as they did. With Sasuke being the named Clan Heir of the Uchiha, for the time being as he stated before he doesn't want to deal with the paperwork that came with being a clan head, Naruto being the Uchiha Clan Head's ward and Sakura being said Clan Head's unofficial student, most people in Konoha knew them by reputation, if not appearance.

This also placed a _lot_ of expectations on them as well. Many expected Sasuke to match Yuriko's martial poweress', Sakura to become her equal in the medical arts and they expected Naruto to match her skill with the sealing arts. Yuriko herself had told them that they could remain lifetime genin as far as she was concerned and she'd be proud of them.

"Yo," a lazy voice drawled out as they approached the gates of the village, their sensei leaning against the massive gate next to the client, Naruto grimacing at the slight scent of cheap booze on the man's breath. "Good to see you all have your things, because there is no coming back for anything you forgot."

"Are you sure these brats are good enough to guard this _super_ bridge builder?" the client grumbled as he narrowed his eyes at the three genin before him.

"Considering that these three were all trained by Konoha's Sword-Scalpel herself?" Kakashi retorted with a raised eyebrow. "And I'm not talking a few lessons here and there, throughout the Academy she trained all three of them. I wouldn't call them prodigies, but they _are_ competent."

Naruto scowled at the client for a moment before pushing his irritation at being looked down upon to the side and turned to Kakashi. "We're ready to go, sensei," he announced calmly, getting a nod from the silver haired jonin as he pushed off from the gate.

"Very well then, let's get moving then, shall we?" Kakashi said with his famous eye smile as he began to leisurely stroll down the road. "After all, it is a long walk to Nami no Kuni!"

The three genin sighed in unison at their teacher's lackadaisical attitude, just from looking at him, one wouldn't think he wasn't a harsh taskmaster when it came to training, but once they proved they knew how to work as a team he _really_ started pushing them hard for training, including a ten mile hike in the rain with 75 pounds of gear on their backs.

 _That_ had been a _terrible_ night, as he chose to do it _right_ before they were supposed to return home for dinner and were exhausted from the training that day, and lasted a good part of the night. Yuriko hadn't done anything about it except to tell the silver-haired man to inform her of any late-night training sessions in advance in future.

Which she later told them was _good_ training, as you never know _when_ you may be deployed for a mission or to reinforce a deployed team. She wished that she had undergone that sort of training before being deployed to the front during the war.

Still, didn't change the fact that right here, right now… they _hated_ their sensei's casual disregard for such things as 'human limitations'.

* * *

Naruto grumbled something rather… _unkind_ under his breath about the client's drinking habits messing up his sense of smell as he tried to sniff out any strange scents. Even he knew that there was good sake, bad sake and bad _cheap_ sake, and by the scent of it, this guy had bought a bottle of the _worst_ cheap sake he'd ever smelled. The kind you bought because you didn't much care how badly it tasted, only that it got you plastered quicker than you could say 'knife'.

Even as he grumbled, however, he still kept himself on the lookout for possible dangers, after all, even with being as close as they were to Konoha, about a five-hour walk at a civilian pace, there could be dangers such as stupid chakraless bandits who underestimated the danger of ninja or overestimated their own skills. Yuriko-nee had told him once that the one thing just as constant as death and taxes was human stupidity.

Next to him Sasuke suddenly stiffened as his eyes zeroed in on a rather innocuous looking puddle on the side of the road. Naruto opened his mouth to question his brother about this when a grey haired man with a strip of blue battle paint running over his nose under his eyes suddenly appeared behind Kakashi-sensei wrapping him up with ninja wire.

"That's one!" the man declared with a chuckle before he pulled on the wire, causing it to tighten up around the silver haired jonin who didn't have time to even speak before he was ripped apart by the wire.

"Sensei!" Sakura shouted in horrified shock.

Naruto's own eyes were wide with shock for a moment before he noticed a distinct lack of the smell of blood in the air despite the amount of red liquid that was sprayed as a result of the ambush.

Pushing the thoughts out of the way Naruto growled as his senses prickled, causing him to leap out of the way as the puddle Sasuke had been staring at lashed out at him.

"Heheh, what's wrong, Hisame?" a new masculine voice called out mockingly as a masked man dropped from above to attack Sasuke with a pair of kunai, the Uchiha managing to leap out of the way, drawing his chokuto in response. "Having trouble aiming?"

"Shut up Kirisame!" a feminine voice shouted angrily as a blue haired woman in a revealing outfit rose up from the puddle. "Kid's got sharp senses is all, nothing that will save him."

"Stop bickering," the third stated flatly, glaring at the pair of them. "Dispose of the kids while I deal with the old man."

The bridge builder whimpered in response to the declaration as the three genin quickly got into a defensive formation around him. "Plan, options?" Sasuke questioned as he stared at Kirisame who was chuckling sadistically.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the situation. "Sakura, defend Tazuna," he announced, his face growing solemn as he took command of the situation. "Sasuke, firebug."

Sasuke's eyes flicked to him for a moment before nodding his hands flipped through a set of seals. "[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" he announced as he spat out a large fireball that made the trio chuckle.

"[ **Water Release: Water Whip** ]!" Hisame shouted as she 'grabbed' the water from the puddle and lashed out, forming a whip with the water to cut the fireball in half. "Idiot boy, using fire against water use-"

"[ **Wind Release: Wind Slicer** ]!" Naruto called out as he slashed his tanto, coated with wind chakra, at the woman, launching a blade of sharpened wind that caught the woman off guard as it opened her throat up. "Now, Sasuke!"

"Right!" Sasuke called out as he charged at Kirisame who was still in shock as Naruto charged at the surprised leader. "[ **Lightning Release: Electric Shockwave** ]!" the Uchiha announced as he thrusted his chokuto forward, allowing a jolt of electricity leap from the blade and connect with the kunai the missing ninja was holding.

"Gah! Damn brat!" Kirisame shouted in pain as he released the kunai only for Sasuke to close in with his sword and stabbed it into the missing ninja's stomach and proceeded to rip it out by slashing to the side opening not only his stomach, but intestines as well. "W-what… the hell?" the man managed to gasp out before he collapsed to the side in pain.

"Tch, this is all wrong…" the last man standing growled angrily as he dodged out of the way of Naruto's attacks. "We were told it was just a jonin with some wet behind the ears genin! Not… whatever _you_ are!"

"Don't blame us for you three dropping the ball and not scouting the target properly." Sasuke snorted coldly.

"Yuriko-shisho was _very_ insistent about that," Sakura pitched in as she held a kodachi in a defensive stance before Tazuna.

"Yuriko…?" the man questioned for a moment, his brow furrowing before his eyes widened as his eyes darted to Sasuke. "Well… suddenly an even _larger_ prize appears before me," he announced with a malicious smile. "Heheh, wonder what we could get her to do, if we had her brothers captive…?"

"And I think that's enough of that," Kakashi's voice called out as he suddenly appeared behind the missing nin with a kunai to the man's throat. "I was wondering if you were after them or the bridge builder, but you answered my question, thank you for that," the silver haired man announced before he suddenly ripped the man's throat apart with his kunai and allowed him to drop to the ground.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura questioned hesitantly, one thing that had been drilled into their heads had been to be careful of familiar people randomly appearing out of nowhere; they could be enemies under a Transformation Jutsu and looking to make you drop your guard.

"Good work you three," their sensei announced with an eyesmile. "Although, Naruto, you were a bit delayed with the release of your jutsu, you should have launched it almost right away after Sasuke's [ **Great Fireball** ]."

Naruto let out a sigh in response to Kakashi's criticism, yup, he was definitely their sensei alright, only _he_ would criticize their battle strategy just after killing a shinobi.

"But, other than that, your strategy was excellent and well executed," Kakashi continued, patting the blond on the head. "Now then… I do believe we have something we need to speak about, don't we, Tazuna?"

The bridge builder gulped nervously as the one-eyed jonin pinned him in place with a bored look that underneath the boredom said that the wrong answer will result in something _very_ painful for his immediate future.

"Hehe… well… you see…" Tazuna trailed off as he braced himself for a _long_ conversation.

* * *

Naruto frowned as he folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes in thought, processing everything Tazuna had told them, about Gato taking control of Nami no Kuni, of his attempts to free his country with the bridge that would connect them with the mainland without the need of the shipping industry that Gato had a stranglehold of, the death of his son-in-law Kaiza, his daughter's desperate attempt at keeping the family fed and homed.

Really, it was a depressing story, Naruto could admit that much and he _did_ want to help them.

The problem was that he _lied_ about the danger the mission presented, while higher ranked missions were more expensive, there _were_ payment options that the client could choose in order to afford the needed shinobi.

All the same, however, it wasn't the bridge builder that needed them, it was the country.

"So, what do you three think?" Kakashi questioned, looking at the trio with a raised eyebrow. "What do you think we should do?"

Naruto took a mental step back at that. It was obvious what they should do, at least according to the standard procedures laid out in the Konohagakure Field Operations Manual; retreat with all due haste to Konoha and have the Hokage renegotiate the contract with the client, slapping on a hefty fee for deliberately under-rating the dangers faced on the mission. THEN the client would get shinobi of appropriate skill levels for the mission.

Still...

"I think we should continue," Sasuke announced calmly. "If we pull back now, then it will only give them a chance to hire more mercenaries or higher level missing nin to eliminate the client or take his family hostage."

"He's right," Naruto nodded in agreement. "We should continue on and push our advantage while we can."

"We could also send a message to Hokage-sama asking for reinforcements if it is absolutely necessary as well," Sakura pitched in.

"Well then, we shall continue onwards," Kakashi nodded in acceptance before looking over to Tazuna. "Once we have arrived at your home, we _will_ be having a conversation about the payment you owe Konoha."

Tazuna swallowed tightly before nodding his understanding of the situation before him. At least they were willing to help him, things could only get better from here out now, right?

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 79  
 **EXP** : 9,047/39,500 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 135 (202) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254

 **New Jutsu**

 **[Rasenken - Level 1 - 0.00%] -** A fusion of the Yondaime's Rasengan and the Chakra Scalpel, creating a chakra sword that is capable of shredding almost anything it cuts into pieces. Even armour is of no help before this jutsu, as it retains some of the chakra scalpels' ability to cut through an object. All armour is reduced by 50% when faced with this jutsu.


	26. Chapter 23: Battle in Wave

"So, your idea of helping me relax is _more_ paperwork?" I asked with a raised eyebrow to Sarutobi-sama, even as I sorted through the various mission request paperwork the elderly Hokage asked me to organize. "I'm thinking you don't know me as well as _either_ of us think."

Sarutobi-sama chuckled in response, waving me off. "I never _said_ it would be relaxing now did I?" he said with a grin. "As I recall, I _said_ it would be a change of pace for you. And you must admit, these are not the same kind of requests and forms you have to deal with as the Clan Head of the Uchiha, correct?"

This earned him a glare from me. "True...they're even duller, more repetitive and more ridiculous than some of the things my clansmen come away with sometimes! I mean, this request from the Civilian Council for guards...who in their right mind would approve it?! They don't _need_ guards, as they're not in command of vital military units! They run the merchants and a few of the public works projects that aren't considered vital."

"And they do know that we only provide them guards when they leave the village, and not a retinue," Sarutobi nodded in agreement with a sigh. "They have been getting rather… _obstinate_ lately…"

I snorted in response. "Have they ever _not_ been?"

The Civilian portion of the Council, or just the Civilian Council, _did_ actually exist, which would have delighted a lot of Fanfiction writers back in my original world. What would have _disappointed_ them was how little influence the Council actually had. As I had pointed out, they were strictly limited in what authority they had, and they had _no_ say in what Shinobi did, period. What really _was_ irritating was that they greedily hoarded what little power they had and dug their heels in at the slightest signs of that power being usurped or reduced.

It gave Sarutobi-sama headaches on a frequent basis.

I knew why Sarutobi-sama was making me help out with his paperwork; I had become increasingly edgy since Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun had left on their mission to Nami. I was filled with unease about what might happen and who may have replaced the Demon Brothers and Zabuza in this timeline, and it made me seem as if I was having an exceptionally bad time of the month.

"They weren't _always_ like this," Sarutobi-sama in formed with a small sigh. "Unfortunately, while he was great when dealing with shinobi, Tobirama-sensei was rather at a loss when it came to civilians."

I suppressed a scoff at that. Tobirama-sama was a genius with Water Jutsu, Jutsu creation and fighting in general, but his fear of Madara had transferred to the Uchiha Clan when Madara had 'died' at the Valley of the End, resulting in the mistrust of the Uchiha Clan by most of Konoha before my brother and I had turned things around on the Day of the Kyuubi, thanks to making us the Military Police. That he was _equally_ inept in managing civilians was of little surprise to me.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked over the next request on the pile before me. "Really? A mission request for a kunoichi to be an 'escort' to a noble party being hosted here in Konoha?" I questioned, raising the page to Sarutobi-sama to see. "Do they _really_ ask this kind of stuff."

"In recent years, yes." Sarutobi-sama rolled his eyes in exasperation. " _Despite_ Konoha having raised several kunoichi of excellence, such as Tsunade, Kushina-chan and yourself, some morons persist in seeing kunoichi as little better than escorts and prostitutes. I sometimes am tempted to have Medical crack open their heads to see if they actually have _any_ brains in there or if they're just hollow."

"I'd assign _Anko_ to the mission to teach them a lesson." I muttered as I stamped 'denied' onto the form. "And I'll volunteer to do the cracking if you _do_ decide to look."

Sarutobi-sama laughed a bit in amusement to my disgust as a small pug bearing a leaf headband leapt through the room. "Ah, Pakkun, you have a message from Kakashi-kun?" the elderly Hokage questioned as I looked up from the paperwork in mixed curiosity and trepidation.

"I do," the small dog summon confirmed. "Team Seven is requesting reinforcements, they encountered three missing ninja from Amegakure while escorting the client to Nami no Kuni," he reported. "The team decided to continue forward to Nami no Kuni to secure the client's home as a temporary base and ensure his family isn't held hostage as collateral."

Three? From _Ame_? That _definitely_ wasn't the Demon Brothers.

"Any idea who the paymaster for the three Missing Nin was?" I asked. I knew that, unlike in the original timeline, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan wouldn't hesitate to kill an enemy this early on in their careers, so I wasn't worried about them. At least, not yet.

"Kakashi and the client believe it to be Gato, of Gato Enterprises," Pakkun replied seriously.

My eyes found Sarutobi-sama who rose his hand to me. "Before you go charging off," he started, making me grimace in response. "Send a message to Kirigakure to see if they have any shinobi near Nami who can provide support to Team Seven."

Taking a deep breath, I calmed my nerves before nodding to the Hokage and flipped through the seals for the summoning and called forth one of the messenger falcons.

"You called, Yuriko-sama?" the Falcon questioned as he stood proudly before us. "Do you have a message to be delivered?"

"Yes, I need you to go to Kirigakure and ask the Mizukage if she has any shinobi near Nami no Kuni to assist one of our teams who encountered missing ninja," I told him, keeping my voice calm. "Please make all haste with this message and return with their reply."

"Very well, I shall do so, Yuriko-sama," the messenger replied, bowing his head before taking off out of the window and angled himself towards Kiri.

Letting out a gusty sigh I collapsed back into the chair and tried to soothe my nerves.

"They will be fine, Yuriko-chan," Sarutobi-sama assured me with a warm smile as I looked to him, "You prepared them as best as you could, now is the time for you to step back and let them make their own path."

"Doesn't make it any easier." I grumbled. "Was it like this for you with the Sannin?"

"Of course, I nearly had a heart attack when I learned they were engaging against Hanzo the Salamander," Sarutobi-sama confirmed with a nod. "I know it's hard, to seperate your heart from your job, but you know as well as I do, it is something we shinobi _must_ do when the situation calls for it, so that we may look at the situation objectively and make the best decision."

Taking another breathe, I nodded in agreement. "Understood," I replied as I set aside my concerns and worries for the time being. "Is there anything else we can do for the time being?"

"At the moment, no," Sarutobi-sama shook his head regretfully. "This is the hardest part of the job, waiting."

I grimaced in response and nodded, turning my gaze back to the paperwork and continued to sort through it in an attempt to get my mind off of my siblings' mission.

It didn't work, needless to say.

Thankfully, however, my messenger proved his speed by returning to me within a couple of hours, looking out of breath, but was able to relay his message. "Mizukage-sama sends her regards to the both of you, and says that she has two shinobi in Nami no Kuni right now hunting down a former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, they will provide assistance to your team."

I let out a relieved sigh as the tension that was building up in my body relaxed a bit a that news. "Very well, did she give a name or contact point for our shinobi to meet with theirs?" Sarutobi-sama questioned.

"She did, Zabuza Momochi, Waves Bar in the main town where the bridge is being constructed," my messenger informed making me pause.

Zabuza… Momochi?

Well… I guess I don't have to worry _too_ much about them any more, after all, he _is_ a rather deadly shinobi and chances are the second person with him is Haku and together they formed a potent combination. And while he was a sadistic killer in the original timeline, I hoped that his new loyalty to Mei, plus Haku's presence, would stop him from going too far.

"Did you get that, Pakkun?" Sarutobi-sama questioned, looking to the pug who nodded. "Relay that to Kakashi-kun if you please."

Pakkun nodded again before leaping out of the window to return to his summoner.

"Thank you for your hard work, you may return now," I told my summon who bowed his head to me before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Have faith, Yuriko-chan," Sarutobi-sama told me kindly. "They will be fine."

"I _do_ have faith in them," I told the Hokage firmly. "After all, I trained them, didn't I?"

The elderly Hokage chuckled in amusement as he nodded. "That you did," he confirmed, standing up from his desk. "Now, how about we go and get something to eat, I am feeling rather peckish at the moment."

I chuckled in amusement as I moved to follow him. "Sounds good, Sarutobi-sama," I agreed with a smile.

* * *

Naruto frowned a bit as he looked the house the client lived in over with a critical eye. "We should trap the docks over here," he commented, pointing the area out to Sakura as she was busy taking notes of his words. "I'm thinking some basic stuff, like false boards and tripwires, early warning stuff for the most part."

Sakura nodded. All the members of Team Seven had their own strong points aside from their assigned combat roles. In Naruto's case, he was a very skilled trapmaker. He had a natural flair for it and Yuriko had encouraged his interest in it, including having him learn to make traps that even _Hyuuga_ had a hard time finding. It was why she bowed to the blond-haired boy's expertise in this area.

"As for the main path… that will be a bit more difficult, going to have to include some intent sensing seals with the traps to make sure random civilians aren't caught up in it," Naruto continued to comment. "But I think for the most part we'll have a few decoy and dummy traps to draw attention away from the real ones."

He hummed a bit as he tapped his chin in thought. "Right, I think I have a good idea of what to do with this place now," he said, nodding to himself before bringing his hands together to form a plus shaped seal. " **[Shadow Clone Jutsu]** " he muttered as he formed a dozen solid clones. "Alright guys, time to get to work on the traps!"

"Right!" the clones all chorused before leaping off to get started on the task at hand.

"Have I mentioned how useful a solid clone jutsu is?" Sakura shook her head in wonder. As of yet, her chakra reserves were too small for anything but the standard clone jutsu. And here Naruto was, pumping out a _dozen at the same time_ without flinching.

Naruto grinned at his teammate widely. "Only about a hundred times since we became genin," he replied teasingly. "They've made set up _so_ much easier."

"Laugh it up." Sakura rolled her eyes. She could see why Hinata was so attracted to him; the positivity rolling off of him was almost like the warmth of the sun. "Do you think Kakashi-sensei will manage to negotiate a good preliminary payment plan for Nami? I don't think the people here are going to be up for paying it even once we kick the stuffing out of this Gato character."

Naruto scowled. The state of the bridge-side town was appalling; filthy streets, boarded up shops, people scuttering and flitting around as if afraid to be seen...it was like some of the stories Yuriko-nee had told him about some places she had visited a short time after the end of the Third Great Shinobi War.

"Well, it's right between Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni with a highway that goes from Kaze no Kuni up to Kaminari no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni which would make this a prime trading location once the bridge is completed," Naruto pointed out, the lessons on global politics from Yuriko sticking in his head. "Only reason it hasn't been so far is because of the fact that right now, you need to use a boat to get onto the island."

Sakura blinked as she looked at Naruto who shrugged. "Nee-chan's been shoving world stuff down my throat ever since I decided I wanted to be the Hokage," he admitted. "Something about needing to understand the global politics if I wanted to be the Hokage so I don't piss off some Daimyo or something."

Sakura suppressed a giggle in response as he scrunched up his face in a pout. "Sorry… it's just… the image of Yuriko-sensei forcing you to study politics," she managed to get out with a giggle.

This earned her a deeper pout.

"Naruto, Sakura." Sasuke walked over as he called out to them. "Sensei's calling."

"Really?" Naruto blinked as he looked away from Sakura with a tilt of his head. "What's going on?"

"Our reinforcements arrived," Sasuke announced with a shrug. "A pair of shinobi from Kirigakure, one of them is a pretty big name too, Zabuza Momochi."

"Wait, the Demon of the Bloody Mist?" Sakura questioned nervously. "H-He's on our side… right?"

"Apparently," Sasuke confirmed with a nod. "The Hokage reached out to the Mizukage who had already had Zabuza and his partner out here searching for a missing ninja."

"Really?" Sakura questioned with a frown as she contemplated the information. "But… isn't Zabuza supposed to be a member of the Seven Swordsmen? Why would they send a member of them after a single missing ninja?"

"I remember nee-chan telling me about the Seven Swordsmen." Naruto frowned. "She had to kill a few of them when they got pissy at her for being a famous swordswoman or something. Hope this guy isn't gonna be pissy too."

"Considering the fact that she killed several of their members, I don't think it'll be an issue," Sasuke pointed out as they walked up the path to Tazuna's house, avoiding the placed traps. "Kirigakure Ninja are bloodthirsty at the best of times and respect strength of arms, especially that of the blade. Nee-chan proved she was better than over half of the last generation of the Seven, so that'll hopefully help."

"Not to mention she killed the Yondaime Mizukage," Sakura pointed out. "If I remember correctly, didn't Zabuza attempt to assassinate him before going rogue?"

"But wasn't that a badass ninjutsu battle?" the blond boy blinked in confusion.

"It doesn't matter _how_ the Mad Kage died, idiot." the Last Mainline Uchiha rolled his eyes. "She killed someone he couldn't so nee-chan'll get his respect."

"But that's _Yuriko_ - _sensei_ ," Sakura pointed out. "Not us."

"I don't see why you two are so worried about it," Naruto commented as he linked his hands behind his head. "He's an ally, right? Then we just need to respect his strength, after all, he _was_ listed as an A-rank when he was a missing ninja himself."

Sasuke and Sakura shared a look with each other before sighing. "I guess we _are_ overthinking this," Sakura said with a sigh as they reached the front door of the home. "We're back!"

"Ah! Welcome!" the client's daughter, Tsunami called out from where she was preparing some tea, nervously glancing over to the sitting area where their sensei was sitting with two other shinobi.

"Welcome back you three," Kakashi called out lazily, although surprisingly he didn't have his Icha-Icha in hand. "These two are our reinforcements, Zabuza Momochi and Haku, and these are my genin, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno."

The pair sitting across from him turned their gaze to them, the man wearing a Kirigakure flak jacket with a pair of pants and bandages wrapped around his lower face, a downright _massive_ sword leaning against the couch next to him.

Beside him sat a rather effeminate looking individual wearing a blue kimono-like robe that hid their figure from inspection along with a Kiri hunter ninja mask strapped to their waist.

"The brats of the Bloody Scalpel, don't look all that impressive," Zabuza announced in a deep baritone as his eyes narrowed at them.

"Neither did Yuriko-san when she _earned_ the moniker of 'Bloody Scalpel'," Kakashi pointed out cheerfully, getting a dirty look from Zabuza. "Trust me, they are genin only in experience. In terms of skill, they are mid-chunin at least. They're also freshly blooded."

"So they've already shed blood? Good, they don't look like they're simpering about it either," Zabuza grunted as he leaned back into the couch. "Damn genin these days are usually a bunch of greenhorns still reeking of mother's milk. Nice to see you actually brought some possibly useful subordinates."

"Of course, I wouldn't have let them continue with this mission if I didn't think they were capable of at least holding their own," Kakashi informed with an eye smile.

Zabuza nodded in response. "Alright then," he announced. "From the information we've gathered, I think we have a mutual goal anyways," he said rolling his neck. "We believe that one of the missing ninja who stole some of Kiri's Seven Swords was hired by Gato as a bodyguard or perhaps an assassin."

That made the genin sit up and take notice. Anyone who had managed to get their hands on any of the Seven Swords of the Mist was _not_ someone to be taken lightly.

"Which, considering the recent attempted assassination of our client, makes sense," Kakashi agreed, not looking fazed by the information. "Although the ninja that attempted were all Amegakure missing ninja."

Zabuza nodded. "Matches our information," he grunted. "Apparently the thief, Raiga, killed the former boss of those ninja and threatened the others into working for him or else. Did it in the middle of the village too. He only has a bare idea how to use the Kiba Swords though; the last wielder could have killed the guy in less time than it takes an Akimichi to eat a bowl of peanuts."

Kakashi snorted in response. "We speculated that the blades act as a type of focusing agent for Lighting Ninjutsu," he commented with a raised eyebrow. "Is that true?"

"Close enough," Zabuza shrugged in response. "He has about two more shinobi under his command if our intel is correct."

"So, should we have our subordinates team up to take the two on while we deal with Raiga?" Kakashi suggested.

"Pfft. Haku could deal with the pair of them by himself." the Kiri nin snorted, a note of pride in his voice. "I _suppose_ your kids could tag along to watch how a Kiri Hunter Nin does their job."

Haku smiled lightly at the genin. "I look forward to working with you," he announced in a kind voice as he stood up and walked towards them.

"Ah, same," Naruto blinked at being addressed before the manners that Yuriko kicked into him reared their head, as he reached out to shake Haku's hand. "If you don't mind me asking, what are your abilities? I'm mostly specialized in fuuinjutsu and ninjutsu, Sasuke mostly focuses on taijutsu and ninjutsu and Sakura-chan is training to be an Iryo-nin."

"Oh? It's good to have a proper Iryo-nin on hand, even if it's one in training, doubly so since Uchiha-sama is your teacher," Haku replied, smiling at Sakura who blushed a bit from the attention. "I have some training in Iryojutsu, but only basic first aid. For the most part I use my kekkei genkai of Ice Release combined with shurikenjutsu to deal with my opponents from afar."

Naruto nodded in understanding as he closed his eyes, considering the information, tapping his foot lightly. "I think… the best option will be for you and Sakura-chan to work together," he said after several moments of contemplation. "Sakura-chan is decent when it comes to close quarters combat and would be able to help you out if anyone gets close to you. Me and Sasuke have been training together… well… forever, really, so we know how we fight."

Zabuza snorted again. "Haku's at least high-chunin himself. His taijutsu may not be his primary strength, but it's still enough to handle any punk that Raiga has licking his boots."

"Having someone to watch my back is not a bad thing to have, Zabuza-sama." the effeminate boy countered in a soft voice.

Zabuza grunted in response as he turned away from them to talk with Kakashi.

Haku chuckled a bit before turning back to Naruto. "That's a reasonable plan," he said to Naruto with a smile. "That was a rather quick assessment for a fresh genin. Have you been taught by Uchiha-sama?"

Naruto nodded a bit. "Somewhat," he replied. "Roshi-oji-san also taught me some, but I mostly learned from Hokage-jiji when it comes to strategy when he has some free time."

Haku and Zabuza paused as they turned back to the neutral faced Naruto. "You've been taught _strategy_ by the _Third God of Shinobi_ himself?!" Zabuza asked slowly.

"He has," Kakashi confirmed with a nod. "Hokage-sama has been taking a shine to Naruto-kun there and decided to mentor him a bit when he has some free time."

"Oh… my…" Haku replied with a shocked look. "No wonder you were able to come up with an effective team formation so easily…"

Naruto shrugged. "It's nothing much," he said calmly. "I still have a lot to learn and I don't exactly really have experience outside of training and some of Jiji's exercises."

Haku and Zabuza shared a look of bafflement with each other. The reason for their shock to who's been teaching Naruto strategy was very simple; Hiruzen Sarutobi had _earned_ the title of God of Shinobi despite the fact that he had _no_ bloodline abilities, or the Senjutsu training Hirashima had.

It took a level of skill almost no one else could match to make it that far with only the common jutsus of his village, a summoning contract - which, while rare, wasn't that much of a game changer on it's own - and a natural talent for tactics and strategy. No bloodline abilities, no secret family techniques, no epic weapons; just pure and unadulterated skill, tenacity and smarts.

So the fact that he 'took a shine' to someone, and a fresh _genin_ at that, was _definitely_ worthy of their attention. "Right… maybe they _can_ keep up with Haku…" Zabuza corrected himself slowly.

Kakashi gave him an eye smile. "So glad you think so," he replied in a pleased tone. "So, you are alright with continuing to search while hidden?" he questioned, getting back to the business at hand. "We will keep protecting Tazuna, but acting like we believe that we've already taken out the danger to his person."

Zabuza nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan," he agreed. "Haku will remain here," he announced, looking over to Tsunami. "You mind introducing him as your cousin? The two of you look similar enough that it should pass the casual inspection."

Tsunami blinked in surprise at being addressed by the scary looking man. "Ah… I guess?" she replied uncertainty. "But… why?"

"To make sure that you're being protected," Naruto answered, seeing where the Demon of the Hidden Mist was going with this. "Sakura can be here as well as your 'official' bodyguard, Haku would be able to catch anyone who gets past her and be off-guard, thinking he's just a civilian."

Tsunami blinked before taking in a careful breath and letting it out. "Very well," she replied in a firm voice as her eyes became determined. "I have family on the other side of the island, you can pose as one of them, although they are mostly females to be honest…"

"That's no worry," Haku replied with a kind smile. "It wouldn't have been the first time I posed as a woman."

"Huh… I can see it," Sasuke commented, looking Haku over. "Yeah, you can definitely pass as a woman."

"I'll return in about an hour or so," Haku informed Tsunami calmly. "Just act as naturally as you can," he instructed. "My name is sufficiently gender neutral to be either male or female, so just refer to me by it, no surname."

Tsunami nodded her understanding of his instructions. "Alright," she agreed. "I can do that."

Haku gave her a warm smile. "You and your family will be fine," he assured her kindly. "I promise you."

With that the hunter-nin vanished with a quick burst of speed.

"I'll be heading out as well," Zabuza announced as he stood up, swinging his massive sword onto his back with a single arm. "I'll send word with any concrete information I find out."

Kakashi nodded in response. "Thank you," he said appreciatively as he stood up as well. "I look forward to working with you."

"Same," Zabuza replied before vanishing himself with a small splash of water that quickly vanished.

"A water-style **Body Flicker Jutsu**? Never seen that before." Naruto commented.

"It's not uncommon," Kakashi informed his team with an eye smile. "It's just not done that often other than showing off one's mastery over an element really. Although I did hear a rumour about some being able to use elemental **Body Flicker Jutsus** offensively."

"Really?" Sasuke questioned with a raised eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Would you be able to teach us the **Body Flicker Jutsu**?"

Kakashi hummed in thought as he tapped his chin. "After this mission," he promised. "It's rather easy to harm yourself with the jutsu by doing it wrong, and while I am certain you three _can_ get it down rather quickly, I would prefer not to teach you in hostile territory...no offence, Tazuna-san."

"None taken." the old bridge builder snorted. "This used to be a _super_ village, but now it's as bad as the mainland was at the end of the Third War. Worse really because Gato's here to stay...or so he hopes."

"I'm sure we can work something out with him," Kakashi replied in a cheerful tone that had the three genin shuddering. He only broke that tone out when he had something _horrible_ in mind.

Whatever their sensei was planning, Gato better pray the end result was death, or else he was going to be driven insane by their sensei.

"Naruto, I have a small fuinjutsu project for you!" their sensei announced to the team making Naruto freeze.

"W-what's that… sensei?" the blond questioned suspiciously.

The eye smile Kakashi sent his way did _nothing_ to soothe his nerves.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he leaned forward to plant his elbows on his knees as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "Man… this is _so_ boring," he groaned out to Sasuke who was sitting on some of the construction equipment next to him. "We already killed the ninja, what else is there for us to do?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Dobe…"

This was a show purely for the benefit of any ninja that Gato had hired who might be watching, but Sasuke _really_ wished that didn't mean he had to listen to Naruto whine. Damn Sakura for being the best at looking harmless!

Kakashi merely looked at them from the corner of his eye from where he was leaning against an unused crane before turning his attention back to his book, his aloof attitude belaying the fact that he was watching everything around them at that moment.

Of course,he was also reading his book. Even with one eye, he was able to multitask. Now then...oh, he was at that part with Makoto!

It was at that moment that a thick fog began to roll in over the bridge, causing some of the workers to shout out in surprise as their vision was blocked by the heavy fog. "Wonderful…" Kakashi sighed as he marked his place in his book before stowing it away. "Why don't you just show yourselves?" Kakashi called out in a bored voice. "I know you've been watching for the last few days, with all the subtlety of an academy student might I add."

"Such bravado," a voice called out mockingly. "I will enjoy speaking at your funeral!"

From the mist, four figures emerged. The leader was a man with waist-length green hair, with two bangs falling down on either side of his nose and unusual blue eyes. His torso was covered in bandages and a dark-brown vest, while he wore trousers with bandages tied around his ankles and black ninja sandals on his feet. Clasped in each hand was a sword with a pair of sharp protrusions coming from the blades; one at the base of the blade facing towards their wielder and one near the top of the blades facing away from the wielder. These were the Kiba, the Thunderswords.

"Hello, Raiga, I see you're pretending to be one of the Seven Swordsmen since you weren't able to make the cut for the real thing," Kakashi noted with an eye smile. "And you weren't even brave enough to try and take those swords from the original owner in a straight up fight on top of that too."

Raiga's eyes narrowed as a scowl formed itself on his face. "You're not one to talk," he growled to Kakashi. "I know how your eye works, Sharingan Kakashi, and in this mist it'll be useless."

Kakashi chuckled a bit as he raised his headband to show off his sharingan eye. "Are you sure you want to test that?" he questioned humorously. "After all, look at your track record against Konoha shinobi, you barely survived against Dai-san, and you ran like a coward from Yuriko-san. So why don't you exercise your true talent and run away, hmm?"

"That bitch'll get hers!" the faux-swordsman growled. "Shura, Monju, Toki, you deal with the genin and the Bridge Builder. I'll handle Kakashi."

"On it, 'boss.'" the one who was likely Shura replied with a hint of resentment in his voice. He wore a blank forehead protector, had a horizontal red stripe across the middle of his face and another red mark on his chin. His clothes were hardy and robust,but didn't look anything special. Slung across his back was a steel umbrella.

"Genin, huh? This'll be boring." Monju remarked. He was an androgynous man with shoulder-length mint-coloured hair. He wore a purple sleeveless top and grey trousers.

"Tch. We never get to have any fun." Toki groused. He wore a green armless robe and had a strange metal device on his right arm.

"Don't underestimate these genin." Raiga snapped. "They killed those three morons that I took from Suien."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged looks before shrugging slightly. "They don't _look_ too tough," Sasuke commented blandly. "Can't be tougher than facing off against nee-san or Roshi-san."

Naruto chuckled in agreement as he brought his hands together in preparation to form seals. "Tell me about it," he vocalized, grinning at his brother. "Bet I beat mine faster than you will."

Sasuke gave him a smirk in return. "You wish," he teased lightly before turning back to their opponents who were gritting their teeth.

"Arrogant brats!" Shura shouted angrily before he pulled an umbrella off his back and threw it into the air. "Just die! **[Ninja Art: Blood Rain]!** "

" **[Sealing Art: Barrier]!** " Naruto snapped out in response and slammed a hand down. The part of the bridge he and Sasuke were standing on became covered in jutsu formulae in seconds and a nigh-translucent barrier shimmered into existence around the two genin just in time to block a hail of senbon from the now-open umbrella.

"Pretty light rain." the blond boy remarked with a smirk.

"Definitely not bloody," Sasuke nodded with a chuckle.

Toki laughed a bit as he looked to Shura with a smirk. "Way to fail, Shura," he taunted as he revved up the large device strapped to his arm and the drill-like tip began to spin. "Lemme show you how it's done. **[Ninja Art: Crimson Earth]!** "

Toki launched forward, seeking to drive his device into the barrier only for Naruto to smirk in response as the barrier suddenly winked out as Sasuke finished a set of seals. "Fell for it~" Naruto sang out tauntingly.

" **[Fire Release: Great Fireball]!** " Sasuke shouted as he let out a steady stream of fire directly at the now decidedly vulnerable missing ninja. While the **[Crimson Earth]** was the perfect technique to use against solid obstacles, such as rock and even ninjutsu barriers, it offered no advantage against something without a solid form like fire.

With a shriek of pain, Toki was engulfed by the **[Great Fireball]** and only just managed to get out of before rolling around on the ground to put the fire out.

"Toki!" Monju shouted out as he ran forward, wires glinting in the limited light as he tried to entrap Naruto and Sasuke. " **[Ninja Art: Wire Bind]!** "

" **[Wind Release: Cutting Blades]!** " Naruto called out as he drew out his tanto before slashing it forward, his wind chakra channelling through the blade before launching forward, intercepting the wires before they could entrap the two.

Sasuke took the moment of shock Monju was showing at his attack being countered to surge forward and meet Monju with a right cross as he started engaging the androgynus looking man in a taijutsu fight.

"That… hurt you brat!" Toki shouted out as he slowly staggered to his feet and moved to attack Sasuke only to get intercepted by Naruto, who was showing no mercy as he aimed for the burned ninja's vital points.

" **[Ninja Art: Mesh Cage]!** " Monju intoned as he threw out his wires at Sasuke who managed to mostly dodge the wires, although his left arm was entrapped by the wires. "Got you, brat!" Monju growled angrily as he began tightening the wires. "Hope you've enjoyed your arm, because now I'm taking it!"

Sasuke smirked at him in response as he formed a set of one handed hand seals. "No," he replied simply. "I _let_ you catch it. **[Fire Release: Flame Thrower].** " he announced calmly before letting out a stream of flames directly into the face of the wire user.

"Monju!" Shura called out with wide eyes as the missing ninja slumped over, his head burnt to a crisp in response to the flames. "You bastard!"

"S-Shura!" Toki called out fearfully as he desperately tried to make some distance from Naruto who wasn't letting up on him, the arm carrying his drill was useless from a particularly deep cut to that arm that was now hanging limply. "Help-!" his cry was cut off as Naruto slipped his tanto deeply into the man's chest, spearing his heart before channeling his wind nature chakra into the tanto, completely shredding his heart, lungs and a portion of his stomach.

"W-what the hell are these brats!?" Shura questioned with wide, fearful, eyes as he backed away from the pair as they approached him. "N-no way you are genin…"

"We are," Naruto informed calmly as he got into a stance next to Sasuke. "We're just better trained than most genin."

Shura growled in response as he grabbed his umbrella once again. "Just die!" he shouted as he pointed the tip towards them before a stream of flames shot out towards them, making the two dart to the side in an attempt to get out of the way before charging at Shura from different sides.

"Urya!" the missing ninja shouted as he pulled back on the handle of his umbrella to pulled out a sword to slash at Sasuke with while he shot wires out from the umbrella to try and trip Naruto up as he approached from the side.

A clang sounded as Sasuke quickly drew out his chokuto to counter Shura's sword, a smirk on his face as flames began to cover the blade. "Not going to be that easy," Sasuke taunted a bit as Naruto dodged around the wires.

Shura growled as he swung the umbrella at the nimble blond only for the wind coated tanto to slash out and cut the umbrella in half as Sasuke pushed forward against Shura's sword. His burning blade melting Shura's before it snapped completely in half.

"Wow, talk about poor craftsmanship," Naruto commented with a chuckle.

"Considering Yuriko-nee only accepts the best quality workmanship from the best blacksmiths, I think we're pretty spoiled with our weapons." the Uchiha mused as he buried his sword in Shura's body up to the hilt.

Shura gasped as his eyes widened in shock, looking down at where the blade was buried into him before he slumped over.

Naruto sighed as he looked over to where a heavy fog had settled in around Kakashi and Raiga. "Guess we're waiting for them now," he said as he sat down on a stack of I-beams.

Sasuke shrugged. "So… I killed more than you did, what do I get?" he asked his brother with a wide grin.

"A 'Fuck You'," Naruto replied easily raising his middle finger in Sasuke's direction, causing the Uchiha to laugh in response.

* * *

"You know, with all of your posturing, I really was expecting more from you," Kakashi commented idly as he stood patiently in the middle of the mist, his ears and nose twitching slightly as he tracked Raiga's position. "But this… this is rather… sad to be honest…"

Raiga growled angrily inside of the mist as he shifted slightly, trying to get a good position to attack the silver haired jonin.

It was easier said than done, however, as the man, despite his relaxed demeanor, was keeping his guard up as he continued to track the swordsman's position. "You know, when I learned my opponent was to be a swordsman of the mist, I was expecting… well… _more_ ," Kakashi noted blandly. "But, I suppose I can't blame you, after all, Yuriko-san _did_ kill off the _competent_ ones."

Raiga growled at the obvious insult but restrained himself from attacking, he didn't become a jonin by being impulsive after all.

"I swear, I am not quite sure how Kirigakure is doing considering that Zabuza is the only half decent swordsman they have on their side," Kakashi continued with a careless shrug.

"Zabuza is a pathetic waste of space that I won't even bother having a funeral for!" Raiga snapped out angrily, his eyes flashing with anger as electricity sparked off his swords. "He is a mockery of a Seven Swordsman that should have never existed in the first place."

"Oh?" Kakashi replied in a bored fashion as he noted Raiga's distaste for the man, and how easily it riled him up. "Sounds like someone is jealous of someone else's success."

Raiga let out a scream of frustration as he leapt to attack the white haired shinobi only for Kakashi to intercept his attack with a quick strike to the missing-nin's wrist to throw the blow off target as it other hand went for a knife strike to the throat that Raiga managed to lean out of the way of before leaping back into the heavy mist surrounding them.

Kakashi chuckled a bit as he resumed his relaxed posture, feeling out Raiga's position in the mist as he smirked to himself.

' _Really, guys like this are just too easy to rile up,_ ' he thought to himself in amusement. ' _Now… just need to get him into position…_ '

"[ **Lightning Release: Fangs of Lightning!** ]" Raiga shouted out as a crackle of electricity announced the presence of his attack.

Kakashi's eyes widened momentarily as he blurred himself out of the way of the attack and sent a small brace of shuriken to the missing-nin's position, forcing the man to abort his follow up attack.

"Well, if that's the game you want to play," Kakashi commented with an eyesmile as he flipped through some seals. "[ **Fire Release: Great Fireball** ]!" he announced as he spat out an expanding fireball through the mist with unerring accuracy.

"Dammit… how?" Raiga cursed as he tried to figure out how Kakashi knew where he was in the mist, while he was not the most proficient with it, he was still using the [ **Hiding in the Mist Technique** ].

"How am I finding you?" Kakashi finished for him as his form began to meld into the mist, his voice echoing out. "How many times has Kirigakure used this against us in the wars? Do you _really_ think that Konoha wouldn't have made a few counters for it? Please."

Raiga let out a strangled gasp as his instinct flared at him forcing him to leap out of the way, just in time to avoid getting a kunai implanted into his spine.

"When it comes down to it, you're just a rank amateur," Kakashi informed with a cold tone.

Raiga gritted his teeth in anger as his chakra spiked. "[ **Lightning Release: Lightning Crash** ]!" he shouted out angrily as he swung his swords forward and brought down a torrent of electrified chakra onto Kakashi's position.

"Where are you aiming?" Kakashi questioned from behind the missing-nin. "I'm right behind you."

"Rraaahh!" Raiga roared as he swung around, his swords only cutting through the mist as a cut opened up on his side.

"Mm, you have peculiar instincts," Kakashi noted within the mist as Raiga tried to locate the silver haired jonin. "I would say like a dog… but I don't want to insult the Inuzuka Clan or my summons by comparing you to them."

"[ **Lightning Release: Fangs of Lightning** ]!" Raiga called out as he sent his jutsu out, only for it to hit nothing but the bridge.

"A swing and a miss," Kakashi noted in a bored tone, his voice coming from behind Raiga as he swung around again, only to hit nothing as another cut opened on his body. "I guess I would compare your instincts to a cornered rat, dangerous… but ineffective."

"I'll show you… who the rat is!" Raiga roared as his chakra flared. "[ **Lightning Release: Lightning Strike Armor** ]!" he announced as a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky directly onto Raiga, covering his body in electricity. "With this, you can't even touch me!"

"Oh?" Kakashi noted, his tone slightly interested. "Care to test that theory?" the man questioned as the deafening sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the air, the mist parting just enough for Raiga to see the silver haired jonin gathering lightning natured chakra into his hand as the sound began to shift to that of thunder. "Go ahead and try to stop me Raiga, I have seen your future, and only death awaits you."

Raiga roared in challenge as his chakra surged again. "I will cremate you before I bury you!" he shouted angrily as he raised his swords up to begin surging chakra into them. "[ **Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Tornado** ]!" he announced as he launched his 'finishing move' against Kakashi who surged forward, his hand digging into the ground as the chakra tore up the bridge.

"[ **Raikiri** ]" it wasn't a shout, it wasn't a declaration, it was the simple statement of a foregone conclusion as the enhanced [ **Chidori** ] live up to its name and cut straight through Raiga's technique with ease, the missing ninja unable to move from his shock as Kakashi broke through, his sharingan spinning as his hand began to stretch out for him. "Die."

Kakashi's words, to Raiga, were like a divine proclamation handed down from the Kami as he couldn't move out of the way of Kakashi's outstretched hand before it stabbed clean though his chest, gouging out his heart as he slumped forward. "D-dammit…" he managed to choke out as the strength left his body before Kakashi ripped his hand from Raiga's chest and allowed the man to drop to the bridge.

The silver haired jonin panted lightly as he pulled his hitai-ate down to cover his sharingan once again. Using [ **Raikiri** ] in conjunction with his Sharingan was always draining, to the point that he was very certain he'd almost tapped out his chakra reserves with that. He'd played with the idiot too much.

"Well damn, I had heard rumors about you cutting a lightning bolt before, but I didn't think that was actually _real_ ," a new voice commented as Zabuza walked out of the dissipating mist, eyeing Kakashi warily. "To cut through both that attack _and_ his defense with a single strike… I thought the only one who could've done that was Kisame."

Kakashi chuckled slightly as he played off his light exhaustion. "I can't allow Yuriko-san to be the only name from Konoha that people recognize," he informed in a light hearted manner. "I take it your part is done?"

Zabuza snorted in response. "Yup, Gato and all of his goons are dead," he informed with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. "They were actually preparing to come of here to try and kill off the winner. Idiot."

The Hero of the Sharingan snorted in agreement, even in his tired state he could've worked his way through Gato's little 'army' by himself, let alone with the relatively fresh Naruto and Sasuke as backup.

"Y'know, I'm glad I'm alive and everything, and you all did a _super_ job of protecting me and the village… but now my workload has _tripled_ with trying to fix the damage you did to the bridge!" Tazuna cried out from the sidelines as he looked at the damage that was done.

Kakashi blinked before looking at the bridge for a moment before looking back to Tazuna and pointing at the dead Raiga. "He's the one who did the majority of it," he countered in a deadpan, judiciously ignoring the fact that his Raikiri cut through two of the support beams during his charge.

Zabuza couldn't help but laugh as Kakashi defended himself from Tazuna's accusations of destroying his bridge. Before moving over to Raiga and picked up the Kiba Blades and placed them into a sealing scroll along with Raiga. Just another day in the life of a shinobi, and just another job that was finished.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

* * *

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 79  
 **EXP** : 9,047/39,500 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 135 (202) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254


	27. Chapter 24: The Power of Yuriko Uchiha

I let out a small sigh of relief as I sat down in the living room of my apartment, Madoka-chan fast asleep in her room, Roshi was out on a mission currently and the boys were still in Wave, overseeing the construction of the bridge to ensure there was no further danger. But, the biggest danger seemed to have passed, allowing me a moment to relax.

 **It is good to relax when you can.**

I froze, my mind seizing momentarily as the blue box floated in front of my vision.

 **It certainly has been a while since we spoke, Yuriko Uchiha.**

"So… you're still watching me then? I thought you would have gotten bored by now," I breathed out, forcing my body to relax as I eyed the box in front of me warily. "Given how little I use the power you granted to me."

 **Quite the opposite really. It fascinates me to no end at how little you use the power of the Gamer… no, that is not the right wording. Rather, you use it as a guide for** _ **how**_ **your growth is working.**

 **I have yet to see a human like you not get swept away by their own potential and rush headlong into your growth. Not to mention the fact, that you are not focused on solely your own strength, but rather, increasing the strength of your charges, while trying to do everything you can to decrease the strength of your enemies.**

 **Quite admirable really.**

I snorted a bit in response as I leaned back into the couch a bit more. "Really? I dunno anymore to be honest," the words left my lips easily as I spoke, if there was one person I was never going to lie to, it was myself. "But… it's getting harder to remember the things that happened in the manga… and…"

 **The things that happened in your previous life.**

I knew my silence was all the confirmation I needed. I remembered that I had been a male… but… my appearance, my build, my hobbies.

My family.

 **It is not surprising, to be honest. Life in your previous incarnation had its trials, but when compared to the trials you face as a Kunoichi that came into her own during a time of war… they are rather…** _ **paltry**_ **in comparison aren't they.**

"Yeah…" I admitted softly, closing my eyes for a bit. "I can only remember fragments, and I know my life then was far from easy for me then… or rather… for him."

 **Yes… for him. The one thing you humans never realize with reincarnation, while the soul may start off the same…**

"By the time even four years have passed, it is noticeably different because of everything you experienced since then," I finished with a heavy sigh. "And I have been alive for over two decades now… I have a husband when I never dated before and a daughter as well."

 **Congratulations for that, by the way.**

I snorted a bit, even after all this time, it was still a smartass. "Can I ask a couple of things?" I questioned hopefully.

 **I cannot promise answers, but go ahead.**

"First… why me?" I asked speculatively. "Out of anyone, why did you chose me for all of this?"

There a pause for a moment before a response came.

 **There was no real reason. You caught my attention and I decided to see what you could do.**

I snorted again. "What else was I expecting from… _whatever_ you are," I said in bemusement.

 **Oh? Not assuming that I am of the divine?**

I narrowed my eyes a bit at its amused response. "No… I don't think you are… I think… you are something… _different_ from them," I answered finally. "You are maybe not as powerful as them in this… realm I guess? But you are… less _limited_ I would say."

 **An accurate theory. Indeed, even before you came here, your intelligence is striking. But now, you don't have that useless clutter filling your mind unlike before.**

I frowned a bit in response, a brief flash of a memory from my previous life, of my mother telling me about my potential. "Yeah…" I murmured. "I guess, there was only one other thing I wanted to ask you."

 **Yes?**

"What's your name?"

I could feel the surprise from whatever was on the other side of this power as they paused in their reaction.

 **Yes… you are definitely most interesting, Yuriko Uchiha. My name is…**

* * *

"Nee-chan!" I smiled as I heard Naruto's energetic cry from where I was sitting near Sarutobi-sama in his office.

"Hello, Naruto-kun, remember your professionalism," I reminded him gently getting him to stop his charge to hug me as he chuckled weakly in embarrassment.

"Right, right, sorry, Nee-chan, Hokage-jiji," Naruto apologised, getting chuckles from the two of us as he rejoined the rest of his team for their report. Just like in the original timeline, Sarutobi-sama actually enjoyed Naruto-kun's irrelevant attitude and it was refreshing for him to find someone who did not 'Hokage-sama' him left and right. Still, professional standards had to be kept.

"Mm, very well then. Kakashi-kun, your report please?" Sarutobi-sama requested, meeting the gaze of the silver-haired jonin.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied, bowing slightly. "We departed Konoha at 0700 as planned to make out way to the country of Wave, it was around 1300 that we first made contact with enemy shinobi, tentatively identified as missing ninja from Amegakure by their headbands. After a brief battle with them where my students eliminated the threat and defended our client we pressed the client for more details about the mission as he said there was only the possibility of bandits attacking him. He admitted to his deceit and informed us of status of Wave being taken over by Gato Shipping Industries and their desperation to complete the bridge. At this point as the captain of Squad Seven I decided that his deceit was not out of maliciousness, but of desperation, as such I decided the mission will continue on.

"It was at this point that I requested reinforcements from you, Hokage-sama, as I felt the situation called for more experienced hands than what we had available," he took a small breath before continuing. "It was at this point you got us in contact with Zabuza Momochi of Kirigakure and his partner Haku, also of Kirigakure. It was decided then that Zabuza and his partner would be keeping a low profile while we drew the attention of the remaining missing nin. Once we confirmed who exactly the target was from Zabuza's scouting, we came up with a preliminary plan of myself, Naruto and Sasuke engaging them on the bridge when they attempted to assassinate Tazuna with Sakura and Haku protecting his family and Zabuza eliminating Gato and his subordinates to ensure the threat ended there.

"Our skirmish was relatively brief against Raiga Kurosuki and his subordinates with both Naruto and Sasuke performing admirably against higher ranked opponents, eliminating them quickly and efficiently while I dealt with Raiga. While the attack was happening at the bridge a few of Gato's subordinates attacked Tazuna's home with the intention of taking his family hostage only to get waylaid by the prepared traps along with Sakura and Haku's efforts. Once the threat had been eliminated, we continued to protect Tazuna and his workers while they finished construction of the bridge with no other notable events occuring."

Sarutobi-sama hummed as he nodded his acceptance of the report. "Thank you, Kakashi-kun," he replied calmly. "And of the mission payment?"

"While the mission was more dangerous than initially expected and reported by the client, we were able to secure the necessary means of payment from both Gato's vault and a favorable trade agreement from the nation of Wave itself," Kakashi informed as he placed a scroll on the desk. "In addition to this, Konoha ninja will not be required to pay the toll to use the bridge to Wave."

"Very good," Sarutobi-sama replied as he moved the scroll to the side. "Good work from all of you," he continued, addressing the genin in the room. "Not only have you performed admirably as expected of a Konoha shinobi, but you remained adaptable to a situation that will benefit Konoha in the long run."

The three genin preened a bit at the praise from the leader of the village as he gave them an approving smile. "As a result of the added danger of enemy shinobi of at least chunin in ranking, it is decided that this mission will be bumped up to a low A-ranking instead of its initial mid C-ranking," Sarutobi-sama informed them, causing them to straighten a bit in response. "Your records have been updated with this information and your pay for this mission will be suitably increased as a result."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied with the genin quickly echoing their sensei with varying enthusiasm.

"You are all now dismissed," Sarutobi-sama informed, giving Naruto-kun all he needed to let out a small whoop of joy before tackling me with a tight hug.

Laughing a bit I hugged my little brother in return, gesturing for the slightly reluctant Sasuke to join us. "Good work you two," I said approvingly, ruffling their hair in approval. "We'll be celebrating tonight, alright?"

"Yes!" Naruto-kun cheered happily in response as he vibrated in excitement, Sasuke-kun was more reserved than his brother, but the eagerness was clear to see in his eyes.

"Of course, you two are free to join us as well," I informed, looking up to Sakura-chan and Kakashi.

"Ah, thank you, Yuriko-sensei, but… I'm going to be spending some time with my family tonight," Sakura-chan informed with an apologetic smile. "They'll want to hear about my first C-Rank mission...although I think my mother won't be happy that it was an under-rated mission."

"Of course," I replied with an understanding smile. "If Mebuki-san has questions about the mission you are uncertain of, or do not wish to answer, direct her to talk to either Kakashi-san or myself."

Sakura nodded with a bright smile at my assurance.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline as well," Kakashi informed me apologetically. "I have a few matters that I need to see to tonight."

"Very well then," I said with a nod of understanding, and I did, the two of us _could_ work together, but after everything that happened, the two of us getting along didn't seem all that possible. I turned my attention back to my brothers. "Well? Shall we go home and get started on making dinner?"

"Ramen!" Naruto shouted eagerly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes in response. "Come on, Naruto, we have ramen all the time," he sighed. "Let's have something different for once."

I chuckled as the two began to argue, bowing slightly to Sarutobi-sama before leaving the office. A lot has changed, but some things never do apparently.

* * *

"Yuriko-san," a voice caught my attention as I strolled through the streets of Konoha with Madoka-chan in my arms and my mother at my side, shopping for some new clothing for Madoka-chan.

Looking over I blinked at the sight of a raccoon-masked ANBU standing there respectively. "Hokage-sama wishes for your urgent attendance in his office," the ANBU informed me respectfully before vanishing.

"Dammit," I muttered quietly to myself before looking to my mother who gave me an understanding smile as she took Madoka-chan from me. "Thanks, mom," I whispered gratefully before vanishing off in a blur.

I was in my civilian clothing, a simple shirt with a pair of pants and shoes, but I carried a set of active duty clothes in a scroll in a pocket, so I was able to change and be at Sarutobi-sama's office in less than a handful of minutes.

Something that happened within a minute and a half, a new personal record actually.

"Yuriko-chan, thank you for coming so promptly," Sarutobi-sama said with a grateful look on his face. "I have some troubling news, you remember the Akatsuki?"

I blinked. "I do, they're after the bijuu and their containers," I replied instantly, wasn't this too early for them to start moving?

"One of their members, Kakuzu, was spotted operating in the area where Squad Seven's mission is taking place," he told me, making my blood freeze as my eyes widened.

My brothers and Sakura-chan were strong for genin, yes, and with Kakashi there, there was little that could be a threat to them… but the Akatsuki? That was a different beast altogether.

"I'm going," I announced firmly, as my blood began to heat up, my gaze meeting Sarutobi-sama's challengingly.

He was my leader yes, my respect for him knew only a single boundary, the safety of my family.

And he knew this.

"Go."

I was out of the window and passed through the gate in seconds, my [ **Inaba Flicker** ] active as I surged through the trees that surrounded Konoha. Nothing was going to stop me from protecting my family.

* * *

Since childhood, Naruto had been exposed to powerful people almost constantly, his sister, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Roshi, Kakashi, Gai.

So much so that he had a better grasp on how strong people could be than most fresh genin. But this? What they were encountering now? This was almost impossible for him to grasp.

"Is that all?" the masked man before them questioned, inky black tendrils leaking from his stitched together body. His arms were grey from using a jutsu he had called the [ **Earth Spear** ] and he had opened the fight with a fire jutsu called [ **Searing Migraine** ]. Even Kakashi-sensei was being thrown around like a fresh genin, even with his Sharingan exposed. "Humph. I was expecting better from the Hero of the Sharingan. The brats were so-so."

"Wh-what _is_ he?" Sakura whispered in disbelief.

"Kakuzu…the undying Bounty Hunter." the silver-haired jonin answered with some pain in his voice. He had just been punched by a fist that was as tough as diamonds and had more than one broken rib. "They say he has lived for over a century, hunting only the most powerful people in the Bingo Book and other bounty sources. People have seen him dead before, but he comes back every time."

"Huh. Your sources are somewhat good." Kakazu grunted. "Money is what concerns me, as only money will never betray you. Now then...Kakashi will make an excellent cash cow, while the Sharingan will sell well in Kumogakure. The other brat and the girl are only useful to lure out another, more _profitable_ bounty head…"

"Nee-san." Naruto forced himself to speak. "You're after my Nee-san."

"Hmph, not a complete idiot either," Kakazu grunted in amusement, leering at Naruto. "Yeah, not only is her head worth millions, but… her eyes are worth even more on top of that."

Naruto growled a bit as he gritted his teeth, desperately trying to restrain himself from attacking the vastly superior opponent. "Dammit…" he growled out, feeling completely helpless at the moment.

"Now, just sit there and be good, and maybe you will actually survive thi-"

"Kushizashi, EXTEND!" a familiar voice cried out right before the 'undying' shinobi was slammed into by the point of a sword that kept growing longer as he was pushed back.

"Kushizashi, shrink," Yuriko commanded as she appeared in the midst of the group, her kodachi shrinking back to its normal size as she faced off against Kakuzu. "If you had wanted to come after my head, all you had to do was send a letter, I do respond to them after all."

"Nee-san…" Naruto breathed out in surprise as he looked at the back of his sister as she stood protectively in front of them.

"The Bloody Scalpel of Konoha," Kakuzu growled as he recovered from the surprise blow of her extending sword, the [ **Earth Spear** ] taking the worst of it for him. "You got here faster than I expected…"

Yuriko ignored him for a second before turning her head slightly to look at them, Naruto freezing a bit as he saw her eyes. Rather than her warm onyx black eyes that he was so used to, or even her crimson red Sharingan… her eyes were cold, and with a strange pattern of a red shuriken over top of a black five-petaled flower.

This, he realised, was _not_ his sister. This wasn't the kind woman who had raised him. Nor was it the stern and demanding woman who had trained him and scolded him. In the place of that was a shinobi. _This_ was Yuriko Uchiha, war veteran, the Sword-Scalpel, in full readiness to kill.

"Kakashi, get them out of here," Yuriko commanded in an icy-cold calm voice. "I cannot kill him while protecting you all at the same time."

Kakashi shifted slightly, looking irritated, but relaxed after a moment. "Ah, you got it," he replied after a moment.

"I will give you the opening you need," Yuriko assured as she began to walk forward. "Be ready."

"Oh?" Kakuzu replied with an amused chuckle. "Do you think it would be that eas-"

He was cut off as Yuriko _vanished_.

In front of all of them, all of whom were at a hair trigger waiting to react to _something._

"The dead have no right to speak," Yuriko stated as she appeared behind him, her hand and sword glowing with sharp blue chakra as she lashed out at him, Kakuzu only barely managing to dodge her attack that Naruto couldn't even track.

"Now! Come!" Kakashi barked out to his students, shaking them out of their stupor as they began to move away.

"I won't let you get away that easy!" Kakuzu shouted as a masked mass of black tendril separated from him and moved to intercept them, the mouth of the mask glowing as fire began to gather in it.

"Enough," her words were a proclamation as Yuriko appeared in front of the mass of tendrils and stabbed her sword through the 'face' of it before a pulse of chakra cause the entire thing to fall apart. "I told you, Kakuzu, the dead have no right to speak."

Kakuzu gritted his teeth in frustration as one of his hearts was destroyed within seconds of Yuriko's arrival on the field while his leverage continued to escape. "You brat," he growled out angrily. "You think it's that easy to kill me? I survived against the Shodai Hokage!"

I couldn't help but snort at his proclamation, one he had made three years from now against Kakashi, Shikamaru, Ino and Choji in the original timeline. It _sounded_ like a great achievement, but really…

"That is not as powerful of a claim as you make it out to be," I announced in a cold tone, although amusement filtered in, I couldn't help the patronizing smile that came onto my face as I looked at Kakuzu who seemed so… _small_ before me. "The Shodai was a great man, a genius like no other and truly worthy of the title of 'God of Shinobi', but… he was also very compassionate. You think you are the only one to survive battle with him? Hardly, he had a habit of allowing his enemies to escape in the hopes that they would change their ways."

I chuckled a bit, as I shook my head. "Now, if you had said _Madara_ , then I would take you as a serious threat," I informed him with a smile. "He was not so compassionate to his enemies. But with that? You are just like a child, trying to sound strong."

Kakuzu's eyes widened as I pressed my chakra down upon him, I had no doubt that Kakuzu was a strong shinobi, but… he was a one trick pony that relied upon his [ **Earth Grudge Fear** ] for his strength. Its ability to steal hearts to add to his number of elemental affinities was also extremely useful for him.

"You… _brat!_ " Kakuzu roared angrily as the black tendrils that made up his [ **Earth Grudge Fear** ] began to spill out of his body in seemingly endless waves, prompting me to leap back as they tried to crush me underneath their weight. "I will gouge out your heart and parade your body around!"

I smirked at him in response as I formed a single seal. "So you say," I chuckled as I briefly sheathed my kodachi to grasp the javelin of fire I formed next to me. "[ **Fire Release: Flame Sunray** ]."

" **[Fire Release: Flame Sunray].** "

My voice echoed seven times as I threw the first one while normally taking several seals to form, through my training I was able to cut down the needed seals to a single one in exchange for the power of the jutsu when formed with all the seals.

But that hardly mattered when I could recreate it several times in the space of a second.

Fire exploded around Kakuzu as my jutsu slammed into his monstrous form without mercy, but I didn't let up as I began to properly form hand seals. "[ **Water Release: Explosive Bite of the Water Dragon** ]!"

"[ **Water Release: Explosive Bite of the Water Dragon** ]!"

I managed to spot Kakuzu in the midst of the raging fire as moved to escape only for seven masses of dragon shaped water to slam into him, forcing him into the ground as said ground, dried from the intense heat, began to buckle.

But I wasn't finished. "[ **Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet** ]!"

"[ **Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet** ]!"

A technique that had been taught to me by Sarutobi-sama himself that I've come to enjoy as several dragon shaped heads rose from the freshly made mud to begin bombarding Kakuzu's position with bullets of mud.

While not sounding dangerous, the mud was being hurled at hundreds of kilometers per hour, it didn't matter _how_ soft something was at that point, it would be able to kill.

But, Kakuzu certainly did prove himself worthy of a S-ranked threat rating as he managed to get up from my attack, the black tendrils that made up his body hanging limply around him as he struggled to regain his feet.

"Do you understand your place now, Kakuzu?" I questioned as I stood at the lip of the crater my three jutsus made, it must of been quite the sight, standing there, completely untouched as I stood over an enemy that Naruto could only beat after creating the [ **Wind Release: Rasenshuriken** ].

Kakuzu gritted his teeth as he glared up at me. "Don't get cocky you brat!" he shouted as he tried to charge me.

A chuckle escaped my lips as I raised a hand. "In respect for your strength, allow me to show you just how wide the gap is between us," I announced coldly. "I do hope you don't mind if I use an experimental jutsu, do you? It's something I've been working on since my team up with Kokuo."

I could see his eyes widen as black and white chakra began to gather in the palm of my hand. "[ **Yin-Yang Release: Precipice of Heaven and Hell** ]," I announced as the ball of chakra launched from the palm of my hand and drove into Kakuzu's body as he flew away shortly before the ball exploded in a violent flash of light with a shockwave that knocked over a few trees. "Goodbye, Kakuzu, you shall not be missed."

Letting out a sigh I allowed my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan to fade before turning away from the battle site and followed the path that Kakashi took the genin down.

"Nee-san!" Naruto and Sasuke called out after a few minutes of walking as the two slammed into me in a tight hug. "Are you alright?" Naruto questioned nervously as he looked up at me in concern.

I smiled down at my little brother warmly. "Of course," I assured the two of them warmly. "Not even a scratch on me, see?"

The two breathed out relieved sighs as they looked me over, getting a chuckle of amusement from me as I allowed them to do so.

"Kazuku?" Kakashi questioned, eyeing the way I came carefully.

"Dead," I assured with with a calm certainty. "I wanted to check on you all first before collecting the body, any injuries?"

"Nothing that Sakura didn't already take care of," Kakashi assured me, relaxing a bit at my certainty. "Are you sure you're alright? There were a lot of jutsu flying around from what we could see."

I chuckled a bit in response. "Just fine, I wouldn't be a very good kunoichi if I got hit by my own jutsus after all," I informed him with a grin getting surprised looks from all of them. "I think, Sasuke-kun, it's time you learned a bit more about the Sharingan."

Sasuke blinked in surprise as he looked up at me. "What do you mean?" he asked in confusion. "Didn't you already teach me about it when I awakened it?"

I smiled at him patiently before gesturing to a nearby fallen tree, most likely from my final attack, before taking a seat myself. This was going to be a bit awkward, as I'd have to mention Itachi.

"I taught you about the differences in the abilities of the Sharingan at one tomoe to three tomoe, true, but I failed to mention the other abilities we Uchiha can gain. Mostly because of your brother."

As always, mention of his previously idolised brother made Sasuke stiffen up like a statue.

"Not in that way." I hastily assured him. "You see...well, it doesn't show up in all members of our clan. Usually, just five or six people per generation have a chance at awakening it. Itachi and I are two of them for this generation. Awakening this power requires sorrow...utter heartbreak and sorrow from losing someone close you you, or believing you have anyway. That is how the Mangekyo Sharingan is awakened in us."

"Mangekyo...Sharingan…" Sasuke whispered. Naruto and Sakura looked interested as well.

"That's right. Every person develops a unique pattern in their eyes and they weep tears of blood when they first activate it." i explained. "Mine was a five-petalled flower, for example. After awakening, unique ninjutsu are awoken as well. Powerful, unique jutsu that no regular Sharingan can copy."

I pointed at my right eye. "Inside my right eye, I possess a jutsu called [ **Kamiyonanayo** ]. It allows me to repeat any ninjutsu I have used up to seven times."

Pointing to my left eye. "While inside my left eye, the jutsu [ **Ama-no-Ukihashi** ] dwells. Using it lets me alter the trajectory of any jutsu within my line of sight."

"Th-that's...incredible…" Sakura breathed.

"The chakra cost is steep and the strain on the user's body is tough...but there is one further price we must pay to use these eyes…" I said softly. "With each use, the jutsu takes some of our eyesight, until we cannot see without having our Sharingan active and, eventually...we lose the light in our eyes permanently."

Horrified gasps emerge from the three genin. I nodded.

"When Itachi betrayed the Clan, he possessed the mangekyo as well. He had what is commonly known as the two ultimate physical attack and genjutsu attack jutsu available to those who bear the Mangekyou; [ **Amaterasu** ], the black fire that can burn even other flames to ash and cannot be extinguished until three days have passed, and [ **Tsukuyomi** ] a supposedly unbreakable genjutsu that distorts time so that 72 hours pass from the target's perception, when only seconds pass to the rest of us.

"Fortunately, he was very unskilled in their use and I was easily able to overwhelm him." I smirked. "He ran with his tail tucked between his legs. Doing so, took almost all of my eyesight though."

"But...then how…?" Naruto asked in confusion and concern.

"What I am about to say is a secret of the Uchiha Clan. Do not tell anyone." I warned them. Seeing their nods, I continued. "A hundred years ago, Madara was in the same position I was, almost blind from overuse of the Mangekyou. He discovered there was one way, one single way to regain his sight and even increase his power...he stole the eyes belonging to his brother. For that is the only way to regain the full use of your eyes; transplant the eyes of a blood relative, a close one, into your own. Swapping will not work; the donor must remain blind."

"How could he…?!" Sasuke said, appalled at his ancestor.

"It was one of two things that Madara had to do in order to match Hashirama Senju." I answered. "The other was use his Sharingan to cast a powerful genjutsu on the Nine-tails, making the most powerful of the bijuu a slave to his will."

Naruto looked shaken at that. But Sakura had a look of realisation at my words. "Sensei...you can see perfectly fine...does that mean your brother…?!"

"Sakaki-nii _gave me_ his eyes as he lay dying on the ground." I answered forcefully, the image making my words harsh. I forced myself back under control. "Unlike Madara, I did _not_ want to have to do it, but...there was no option; I _had_ to take his eyes and did so with his urging and blessing."

Letting the silence hold for a minute, I went on. "When a Sharingan is swapped in such a way, the Mangekyou patterns of the two merge and mutate slightly...as you can see."

I activated my EMS. "The shuriken that you see was the pattern of my brother's Mangekyou. In this way, he is with me always. The advantage to doing this, aside from the return of my sight, was that never again will the Mangekyou take my vision as a cost to its use. That is why we call my eyes the _Eternal_ Mangekyou Sharingan."

Letting my EMS fade again, I sighed. "Both the EMS and the regular Mangekyou twist the user's mind, giving them a god complex unless they are disciplined enough to resist it. It isn't easy, even for one as determined as myself. That's why there is a bounty on my head and a bounty separately for my eyes. If someone, like Orochimaru, were to get their hands on them, it would be just as bad as if Madara were still alive."

Oh, the irony.

I could feel the eyes of the genin on me as my thoughts wandered, allowing them the time to process my explanation. "Is… is that why you're so strong?" Naruto-kun asked in confusion. "And… could you do the same thing as Madara with the Kyuubi?"

I let out a small sigh as I slumped a bit. "They are a powerful tool, yes, but I try not to rely on my Mangekyou," I admitted with a bit of a smile. "As for the Kyuubi… I don't think I even want to have that kind of power."

"Why?" Sakura-chan questioned in confusion. "It's such a powerful ability…"

"It's a _monstrous_ ability." I cut her off. "Taking away the free will of a living, sentient being is _never_ something I have _ever_ wanted to do, nor shall I. Imagine it happening to you; you'd be a prisoner in your own mind, unable to do _anything_ while someone else moved you around like a puppet, even if that action was assassinating Sasuke-kun or Naruto-kun."

The pinkette blanched. "I-I...oh kami, I think I'm going to be sick…"

I felt a bit bad as she dry heaved. She cared for both of her teammates in this timeline, not just Sasuke-kun, and for far better reasons. The thought of harming them and being helpless to stop it...yeah, I've been the same at her age.

"And _that's_ why I refuse to even attempt something like that," I finished solemnly. "Just because you possess power, does not mean you should use it. With great power, come great responsibility, and I am responsible to never allow that cursed power to roam free again."

Corney, yes, but it worked well if the mildly awed expressions that the three are giving me are any indication. Spiderman for the win.

"So… if I ended up getting the Mangekyou… would Itachi try to come after me?" Sasuke-kun questioned nervously.

"Possibly," I sighed, and I honestly didn't know _what_ Itachi would do at this point. "But, if he does, never forget, you are _not_ alone."

Sasuke-kun blinked as he was jostled slightly by Naruto-kun who grinned at him while Sakura-chan smiled, getting a slight chuckle from the black haired boy.

And the was the crux of my change, Sasuke-kun _didn't_ stand alone, not by design or by choice. He _willingly_ stood alongside Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan as their friend. I couldn't stop the smile on my face as I watched them speak to each other without actually saying anything, feeling fully at ease with the future of these three at the very least.

"Alright you three, we still have a mission to complete," Kakashi infomed with a slight chuckle, getting the attention of the three. "And Yuriko-san has to recover the body and report in to Hokage-sama."

The three genin grumbled a bit but stood up all the same to follow their sensei to complete their mission. "See you back at Konoha, nee-san!" Naruto called out, waving to me as they moved off.

"You will!" I assured him with a wave of my own before allowing my hand to drop to my side as they vanished, my smile melting into a mask of professionalism as I turned and began looking for Kakuzu's body.

I did eventually find it in the center of a new crater from my final attack, the sides of the crater surprising me at how perfectly smooth they were from the explosion that created it.

I didn't drop my guard as I approached the body and used my foot to roll it over onto its back, my eyebrow raising slightly as he gasped slightly for air. "That is surprising," I murmured, looking down at the barely living Kakazu.

"H-how?" he rasped out in agony.

"You're too old and obsolete," I told him simply, drawing out my kodachi and checking the edge of the blade. "Stay on the other side, where it is safe, because I am here," I went down to one knee and placed my sword at his neck and dropped my voice to a bare whisper. "And should you see Madara Uchiha, tell him that his Moon Eye Plan _will_ fail," I said, to his obvious confusion. "I will never allow this world to be lost in a dream."

Before he could even respond I removed his head and blasted the rest of his body with a high-level fire jutsu, just to ensure he was dead.

Sealing his head into a scroll I took one last look at the smoldering ashes of his remains before turning away and began to make my way home.

* * *

 **You have killed Kakuzu the Undying!**

 **You gained  
50,000 EXP  
4,500,000 Ryo  
You looted the [Earth Release: Earth Spear] jutsu scroll from the body!**

 **You have gained a level!**

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

* * *

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 80  
 **EXP** : 19,047/75,000 **  
Age:** 20 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 135 (202) **  
LUK -** 41 (61)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254  
 **Stat Points - 10**

 **New Jutsu**

 **[Yin-Yang Release: Precipice of Heaven and Hell - Level 1 - 0.00%] -** A unique jutsu created by Yuriko Uchiha based upon her experience with fighting alongside Kokuo when he used the **Bijuudama**. The technique, while similar to the technique holds a lot less power than the **Bijuudama** and can only be used against a single target unless they are standing close together.


	28. 25: The Chunin Exams: Proctor Yuriko

The room was dark as several hazy humanoid images appeared, standing atop of a finger of a pair of hands, before a large stone face that seemed to have its eyes covered. " _It's rather soon, calling us for a meeting, isn't it, Leader-sama?_ " a raspy voice questioned as the hunched-over, bulky image spoke, looking up at the image that stood higher than the rest. " _I thought we weren't ready to start the operation yet?_ "

The image he spoke too remained silent for several moments, the ripples eyes the image bore staring at the assembled group as another spoke up. " _Hey, where's Kazuku, it's rare for that guy to be missing,_ " a rather tall individual spoke up in a careless voice, a large wrapped item on his back with a handle sticking over his shoulder.

" _Kazuku has been killed,_ " the leader spoke finally, answered both questions. " _He attempted to capture Kakashi Hatake and his students in order to lure out Yuriko Uchiha, but he was the one who was overpowered by the one he sought to trap._ "

" _He's dead? For real?_ " the same figure questioned in disbelief. " _Well...damn. Looks like she's gotten even tougher since I fought her._ "

" _It is to be expected,_ " the image next to him, a shorter man with sharingan eyes spoke. " _After all, she does bear the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan… plus, it is her nature to continually train and discover new jutsu._ "

The leader stared at the sharingan wielder. " _Will you be able to deal with her, Itachi?_ " he questioned pointedly, making the Uchiha rogue pause.

The pause spoke a lot on Itachi's thoughts on the matter. " _No,_ " he said finally, with blunt honesty. " _Even if I were to fight her with Kisame, I do not believe we could defeat her… she is at the level of Jiraiya-sama, perhaps even higher than him._ "

The image of the Leader flickered momentarily. " _So, she is at the level of the active Sannin, is she?_ " he questioned, looking somewhat disturbed by the information. Even separated, the _active_ Sannin were considered to be in a league of their own when it came to the S-class shinobi.

" _When I faced her in Konoha, she completely overwhelmed me._ " the Rogue confirmed. " _She used jutsu that I still have no clue about, and I hear that she pulled off a feat that only Madara Uchiha himself could do during her attack on Yagura...enshrouding a Bijuu in the armour of her [Susano'o]._ "

The leader studied the rogue Uchiha for several moments. " _Very well, from now on, you are all to avoid engaging with Yuriko Uchiha in combat,_ " he announced to the group. " _When the time comes to collect the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and the Yonbi Jinchuuriki, myself and Konan will attend to them directly due to her closeness to those targets._ "

" _By Leader-sama himself, eh,_ " Kisame questioned with a grunt. " _I would complain about it, but… honestly, that woman terrifies me after resetting her spine while I was fighting her, heh, it's too bad we can't get her on_ our _side._ "

" _It would never happen,_ " Itachi replied quickly, shaking his head as he closed his eyes. " _She is far too close to our targets to allow them to die for our objective._ "

" _A shame, but in time she will learn the futility of standing against a God,_ " the Leader announced in a cold tone. " _Continue with your objectives, dismissed._ "

Without a word every one of the images buzzed out of existence, only leaving the leaders and the image of a woman standing next to him. "Yuriko Uchiha, huh," a new voice spoke up as a man wearing a spiral shaped mask stepped into view from the shadows. "Who would've thought that the young medic I dismissed as being unimportant would become such a threat," rather than sounding annoyed by the prospect, he seemed to be genuinely amused. "Funny, how life turns out like that."

" _Madara,_ " the Leader spoke, naming the masked man. " _It is unlike you to make such a mistake._ "

'Madara' laughed in amusement. "Well, normal medics are never able to properly concentrate enough to heal themselves from death's door," he informed plainly. "But… my descendant has proven to be anything _but_ normal in that regard, really, I should have expected such a thing to be honest."

" _Your… descendant?_ " the Leader questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Great-Great-Granddaughter, or something along those lines," Madara replied dismissively with a wave of his hand. "Although I didn't realise it at the time myself, I honestly thought they ended that line after my fight with Hashirama, but he always was a soft one when it came to his possible enemies."

" _How close did she come to death?_ " the image queried.

"I stabbed her from behind, right into her liver." 'Madara' answered with a shrug. "Really...even Tsunade would have to use her Yin Seal to heal _that_ degree of wound."

The leader remained silent for several moments. " _It matters not how strong she is,_ " he said finally, full of confidence. " _As with everyone, she shall fall before the might of a God. She shall know Pein._ "

Madara looked at him with narrowed eyes as the images vanished from sight before snorting. "Don't be so cocky," he grumbled with a scowl. "Honestly… you are _far_ from the level of a God of Shinobi."

Shaking his head, 'Madara' once again melded with the shadows of the room and vanished from sight, leaving only the statue remaining.

* * *

 **THWACK!**

I grunted a bit as my forearm throbbed from being used to hastily block a punch from connecting with my face. My body ducking a swaying to avoid follow up strikes as I carefully waited for my chance to counter.

Something that was easier said than done considering my opponent.

But an opening did appear, for the briefest of moments, prompting me to surge forward with a punch of my own to the opening.

Only for the opening to be a trap that my opponent left on purpose, a trap that I fell into.

Pain blossomed in my stomach and cheek before I managed to start deflecting the blows at my body. I tried to retaliate and throw them off of me only for my opponent to hook his foot behind my own and pushed, tripping me onto my back before his fist came hurdling in to strike me in the face.

"It's over!" a voice called out making me let out a sigh as I slumped in defeat.

I let out a small irritated sigh. "You definitely are the best Taijutsu specialist, Gai-san," I groaned a bit as the spandex clad jonin laughed merrily.

"Ah! Yuriko-san, as always your Youth burns brightly!" he said in a complitatory manner as he reached down and gave me a hand up. "Your skill with taijutsu grows by leaps and bounds every time we spar with one another!"

I chuckled lightly as I regained my feet and started brushing the dirt off of me. "As does yours, Gai-san," I replied, smiling at the man before letting out a theatrical sigh. "It seems like I can never catch up with your talent."

Gai-san blinked in surprise before smiling widely at me in response before laughing.

"Amazing, Gai-sensei!" a young man wearing a green spandex outfit shouted in awe. "You can even defeat Yuriko-san in combat using your taijutsu."

"Perhaps, but this was a spar against Yuriko-san using _only_ taijutsu," Gai-san correctly Lee-kun gently. "Should we have been fighting for real, the outcome would have been vastly different. The reason why Yuriko-san spars with me with only taijutsu is because she wishes to improve her own skill with the Uchiha style against various styles, which I assist her with."

"I see!" Lee-kun replied as he quickly jotted down notes in a notebook as Gai-san spoke. "So that was why you were not using the [ **Strong Fist** ], correct?"

Gai-san nodded approvingly. "Exactly, Lee-kun," he nodded approvingly as the genin's two teammates approached. "While a Taijutsu specialist will always focus on their chosen craft, they must be willing to expand their knowledge to the other styles if they wish to be a _true_ taijutsu master."

I couldn't help but smile as Lee-kun listened with rapt attention to Gai-san's lecture as Neji-kun and Tenten-chan listened in with a bit of interest.

While Lee-kun was the same as ever, the same could not be said for his two teammates. Neji-kun, with the survival of his father, Hizashi, was no longer a fate obsessed brat and was more closer to how he was in Shippuden that when he was introduced. He was still a bit stiff and formal, but that would ease with age, I hoped.

As for Tenten, she was, as always, a weapon specialist through and through, but Tsunade wasn't her _only_ role model it seems, this time around. "I still can't believe sensei can defeat Yuriko-sama," she muttered in disbelief her eyes wide as she looked between me and her sensei. "Even if she is limiting herself…"

I chuckled a bit in response as I began to heal the bruises from where Gai-san had hit me. "Even if I were to fight him normally, Gai-san would still present quite the challenge for me to overcome," I informed her honestly. "Quite truthfully, he is a bad matchup for me if I am not able to get the drop on him first."

Tenten-chan stared at me with wide eyes. "Really?" she questioned before turning back to Gai-san with a new respect in her eyes.

"Really, so learn well from him," I instructed her. "He really is one of the elites of the village for a reason."

I looked over to Gai-san, who was looking at me with a genuine smile, it wasn't one of his broad, teeth baring 'Nice Gai' smiles that he showed everyone else. Rather, it was a more subdued smile that would fill a person with the warmth it exuded. "Thank you for the compliment, Yuriko-san, coming from you, it truly does mean a lot."

I smiled at him in return, nodding my head at him in acknowledgement before the shriek of a hawk caught my attention. "Ah, looks like I am needed," I informed, recognizing the hawk. "If you will excuse me."

"Of course, again, thank you for the sparring match, Yuriko-san!" Gai said, resuming his gubalant personality as his teeth shone in the sunlight.

I smiled at them again and waved before I took off with my [ **Inaba Flicker** ], heading for Sarutobi-sama's office in the tower.

His window was open as I approached, a clear sign that I was allowed to enter through it rather than going through the ground floor and walking up. Landing outside of the window, I slipped it, smiling at Sarutobi-sama as I surveyed the room, my eyes landing on Ibiki-san and Anko-san who were standing at attention before him.

"Thank you for coming, Yuriko-chan," the elderly Hokage greeted me warmly, his eyes warm as he smiled.

"Of course, Sarutobi-sama," I replied, joining the two T&I specialists before his desk, my posture more relaxed then their own. "How may I help you today?"

Sarutobi-sama didn't replied immediately as he set about filling his pipe with a small amount of tobacco and lit it up, taking a quick puff of it before speaking. "I have call the three of you here today to inform you that I wish for the three of you to be the proctors from the upcoming chunin exams," he said finally, exhalling some smoke as he did so. "Ibiki-kun, I wish for you to handle the first exam, Anko-chan, you will be handling the second, and Yuriko-chan, the third exam."

I blinked in response to this announcement as I considered it. Being the proctor for the third exam was a rather simple affair as it always ended up being a tournament of some kind, whether it was squad based or one-on-one based, the proctor's responsibility for it was rather straightforward, but they had to be on the lookout for the genin to attempt to continue to fight or kill one another after the match ended, or to end a match when there was a clear disparity between the strength of the genin.

Most importantly, however, a proctor was forbidden from assisting the genin in any way during the time they were a part of the chunin exams, including the one month training period between the second and third exams.

I must have been making a face of some kind as Sarutobi-sama was chuckling in amusement at me. "Yes, because if Kakashi-kun does what I think he will, I want those three to be able to look beyond _you_ for help with their training," he informed me with a chuckle.

I let out a sigh. "Very well, Sarutobi-sama, I'll play along," I said with an over dramatic sigh, getting another chuckle from the leader as the two beside me fought to maintain a professional demeanor.

That was one thing I liked about being so close to Sarutobi-sama, I didn't have to worry about that too much.

"There is something else," Sarutobi-sama informed, sobering up from his amusement, causing the two next to me to straighten instinctively as the 'Professor' made himself known. "We have gotten confirmation on the participants this year, and there are two things of note; first, Sunagakure is planning on sending in their Jinchuuriki this year, and a new village is participating, Otogakure."

My face smoothed out into a mask of cool neutrality as I took in the information. The news about Gaara-kun coming was a bit worrisome in general, but it could be easily passed off as Suna trying to make a big show of their abilities to the big names that came to the Konohagakure chunin exams.

But Otogakure was another mess altogether. Because Jiraiya-sama had confirmed that Orochimaru was the leader of the village, even if we didn't let on that we knew that fact.

"I take it you are allowing their participation?" I questioned coolly.

"I am, I know Orochimaru _will_ be attempting something, but I believe he will restrain himself from acting until the third stage of the exam," Sarutobi-sama explained. "After all, even if he denies it to himself, my student is something of a showboater, he will want as many people as possible around to witness his 'triumph' when he strikes."

"Your orders?" I asked.

"Simple, for now, continue on as normal, but, if any of you see an opportunity, have one of the Oto participants… _disappear_ and question them on their plans," the God of Shinobi commanded. "And when they attack… make an example… Yuriko Uchiha."

I stiffened slightly as Sarutobi-sama used my full name, showing just how deep he was as the God of Shinobi, meeting my gaze with his own as my sharingan activated out of instinct to the _vastly_ superior shinobi in front of me.

Orochimaru was an _idiot_ to think that Sarutobi-sama was weak. _Weak_? The man was capable of balancing the ruthless requirements of a Shinobi and Hokage with the mercy of a human. Unlike Orochimaru, who saw things in black and white; power and powerless, strength and weakness...so limited.

I could feel the two next to me struggle to maintain their feet as my own power began to leak from myself, much like Sarutobi-sama switched between his grandfatherly demeanor and his God of Shinobi state, I was currently neck deep in the state that my own husband called, the Bloody Scalpel.

"As you wish, Hokage-sama," I replied, nodding. "I shall ensure that all who see whatever attack that Otogakure have planned, will know the strength that resides within the walls of Konohagakure."

The God of Shinobi nodded his acceptance to my words before the pressure that was filling the room began to recede. "Good, thank you, Yuriko-chan," he said, giving me an apologetic smile as my sharingan faded, the T&I specialists breathing a sigh of relief. "The two of you are dismissed," he told the pair with a warm, apologetic, smile. "Yuriko-chan, there is something else I wish to discuss."

I raised an eyebrow as the pair left the room, and I could briefly hear Anko begin to say something on the other side of the door before a silencing seal went up. "Yuriko-chan, I know you've been working on Minato-kun's jutsu," he commented, making me blink before shrugging it off.

Honestly, it didn't surprise me that he knew, considering the fact that he could watch over the entire village with that crystal ball of his.

"Yeah, I have been," I admitted vocally. "I wanted to be able to teach Naruto-kun them when he was old enough."

Sarutobi-sama smiled at me in response. "I figured as much, however, there is something I want you to do," he said with an apologetic look. "I know you keep yourself from using them because of your respect for him, but when Otogakure attacks, I need you to lift that restriction from yourself."

I froze as my back stiffened. "Sarutobi-sama?" I questioned, because really… there was no need for me to do so, unless…?

"Yes, I am aware, you don't need them to make the example I asked you to," he said with an apologetic smile. "But, with Kumogakure looking like they may be preparing for war, and a large number of smaller villages following their lead, Konohagakure and its allies need a symbol of our strength, and a reminder."

"You wish for me to be both?" I offered up with a grimace, getting a nod from Sarutobi-sama.

It made sense, because it didn't matter how strong someone got, compared to Minato-sama's feat of _obliterating_ an army in _seconds_ of his arrival on the battlefield, everything else pretty much paled in comparison.

My hand drifted to my equipment pouch as I pulled out a tri-pronged kunai, staring at the seals that were wrapped around the hilt before letting out a sigh. "As you wish," I replied finally, my voice firming as I put the Hiraishin kunai away, firming my resolve.

Sarutobi-sama sagged a bit, looking relieved at my acceptance. "Thank you," he said gratefully, looking surprisingly vulnerable in front of me.

The surprise on my face must have shown as he smiled at me. "I am getting old," he said simply, chuckling a bit. "Next year, I will be 70, not even Hashirama-sensei or Tobirama-sensei lived as long as I have."

He took in a deep breath as he leaned back into his chair. "I'm afraid I can no longer live up to the title of God of Shinobi any more," he told me, being frankly honest. "My body can't move as well as it used to, it aches and I grow more tired easier, truly, time is the one thing no shinobi can ever escape."

I swallowed tightly as my leader revealed his vulnerability to me before I stepped forward and placed my hands, alight with green chakra, on his shoulders as I began to pulse my healing chakra through his body.

He let out a shuddering sigh as I eased the aches and pains he was feeling, pushing the damage that came with age back. "Thank you, Yuriko-chan," he said with soft smile as he allowed me to do my work. "I am going to retire soon," he announced, making me pause for a moment before I resumed my self-appointed task. "I plan on announcing it at the end of the third stage, but… I will be naming the Godaime Hokage."

I swallowed tightly in response as I continued to mend the damage that time had wrought to his body. "And who do you plan on succeeding you, Jiraiya-sama?" I questioned.

Sarutobi-sama snorted in amusement. "No, he is a strong and splendid shinobi, but not a leader," he said, chuckling a bit as he felt some of his fading strength return to him. "No, neither he nor Tsunade-chan have what it take to be Hokage, maybe if she had never left, Tsunade-chan could have succeeded me, but, she is no longer the passionate girl I remember."

He let out another sigh as he turned his head enough to give me a look. "Yuriko, you will be succeeding me as Hokage," he announced in a confident tone.

 _That_ shocked me out of my healing rather quickly. "I...but I'm an Uchiha!" I protested softly. "There are still those who greatly mistrust my clan, especially after Itachi! Not to mention those who will think that this has been some kind of long-term takeover plan of some sort! Besides...I'm not fit to lead the village when I can barely lead my Clan!"

"You mean those such as my ex-teammates, correct?" Sarutobi-sama deduced rather easily. "I will be pressuring them to retire also. They have served as my advisors for many years, and Minato-kun never got around to replacing them. It is time for fresh blood in the Advisors seats."

Well...that would help, I suppose...no, wait a moment!

"Tsunade isn't as broken as you might believe, Sarutobi-sama." I said with a swallow. "She would need persuading, but...she would make a good Hokage; the village would wholeheartedly support her, just for being Hashirama-sama's granddaughter, leaving aside her own skills as a Sannin."

"You are a better candidate than Tsunade." the Hokage stated firmly. "For one, you are a hero of the village who served loyally in the Third War and served as one of Minato-kun's Hokage Guard. For another, you have not been galavanting across the country drinking yourself into a stupor for a decade or so. You are popular, well-liked and, more importantly, have been the catalyst for turning your entire Clan to the Will of Fire. The people know all of this and love you for it. The issue of popularity is not important. As for ability, leading a clan isn't too much different to leading a village, simply a smaller version thereof. You handled the paperwork with me rather easily, if you will recall."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You were testing me." I accused him.

"Guilty as charged." Sarutobi-sama smirked at me. "In truth, I have been considering you for a number of years. With Jiraiya-kun and Tsunade ruled out, the generation above yours came into my appraisal, but none of them are suited. Power-wise, Kakashi-kun and Gai-san are suited, but both are...somewhat _over-eccentric_ and unsuited for the position, at least not without some more seasoning. You are the most powerful and most suitable Shinobi for the position produced by this village since Minato-kun was born, Yuriko. You are the one I have chosen to take up my mantle. You are the future of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

The fact that he dropped any honorifics was to make a point, I could tell.

I shifted uncomfortably in place as I processed what he was saying. Since my reincarnation, not once have I ever considered trying to take the position for myself, my goal had always been to get _Naruto-kun_ the seat he always wanted to get, should he wish to do so.

But… I couldn't deny his logic, nor could I deny the request from the one man who had seen me at my lowest, and offered me his hand.

"Okay," I said finally. "I will succeed, you, Saru-"

"Hiruzen," he cut me off, using his given name. "I think, you have more than earned the right to use my name, Yuriko."

I swallowed again. "Hiruzen-sama," I corrected myself, getting a smile from him. "So… you're going to announce it at the end of the exams?"

Hiruzen-sama nodded in confirmation as he leaned back into his seat, looking… _lighter_ than he had in years with my acceptance of the position of Godaime Hokage. "To the village, yes," he confirmed with a nod. "I will be informing the Shinobi Council of my decision during our next meeting, you will need to select yourself a guard."

My lips twitched in a smirk. "Well, I think I have a few ideas," I said, shrugging as I continued to try to process this development.

"You are ready for this, Yuriko-chan," he told me gently, patting my hand. "You think that you haven't been leading your Clan properly, but that is just not true, they have _flourished_ under your leadership. They are happy, content, and they are _safe_."

I closed my eyes and took in a breath before letting it out. "Okay…" I said finally, nodding at Hiruzen-sama as I began to channel my healing chakra into him once more. "I'll take your word for it."

The aged Hokage laughed a bit at me as he relaxed, allowing the room to fall into a companionable silence as we both processed what had happened.

* * *

Roshi breathed steadily as he sat, cross legged atop an outcropping of rocks, his eyes closed as he reached out with his senses, feeling the nature of the surrounding world envelope him sinking deeper into the feeling, right before his chakra flow suddenly halted before resuming, knocking him out of his trance. "Dammit…" he grunted as he panted, rubbing his forehead.

" _ **Don't be so down,**_ " Son Goku told him patiently from within him. " _ **You are making remarkable progress, especially without the aid of a summon clan. Senjutsu is not an easy skill to master, Roshi, even for a Bijuu such as myself.**_ "

Roshi nodded his acceptance of his partner's words before he settled himself back into his meditative position and began to resume his attempt at becoming one with nature.

It was a little known fact, but there was a reason Son Goku was called 'The Sage that Equals the Heavens', and it wasn't his own arrogance, out of all of the Bijuu, the Yonbi was the only one who managed to, or even _wanted_ to, learn the art of Senjutsu. Something, it turned out, he had a natural talent for.

So, when Roshi asked for the Bijuu's help in growing stronger, as he wanted to be able to stand by Yuriko's side under his own power, rather than relying on Son Goku. It was at that point the Yonbi suggested that Roshi should then learn Senjutsu.

What the Yonbi _didn't_ know was that his style of senjutsu was different from the one that was used by the summon clans. The Summon Clans channelled a select amount of Nature Chakra that was best connected to their species, and when taught to their summoners, said summoners do the exact same thing, hence them taking on characteristics of their summons.

What Son Goku does, is take _all_ of the Nature Chakra without any filters to it, that, while more powerful, carried a heavier risk of causing irreparable damage to the user. Thankfully for Roshi, his instructor in the arts of Senjutsu also had a direct link to his chakra coils and was instantly able to stop any excessive amounts of Nature Chakra from changing his body.

Speaking of…

"Dammit!" Roshi cursed as he was knocked out of his trance.

" _ **Perhaps this is a good stopping point for now,**_ " Son Goku suggested patiently as Roshi shifted irritably. " _ **Your irritation will only hamper your efforts.**_ "

Roshi let out a sigh as he sagged a bit. "Alright," he agreed, nodding more to himself than to Son Goku. "Man, you're really something, to be able to learn this without any help whatsoever…"

The Yonbi chuckled a bit in response, accepting the praise easily. " _ **It was a difficult task, I will admit,**_ " he said after a moment. " _ **Ultimately though, the power I gain from it is worth all of the effort. Keep training as you have and you will see results.**_ "

Roshi nodded as he looked up at the sun to judge the time before letting out a sigh. "Time to head home it looks like," he grunted a bit as he stood up, dusting himself off before leaping down from the cliff he had been meditating on and began to make his way back to the gates of Konoha. "I hope I _can_ get the hang of this soon," he admitted in a quiet voice. "Something big is coming, I can feel it in my bones…"

Son Goku hummed in assent with his host's instinct. " _ **Indeed,**_ " he said vocally. " _ **We will be ready for it, however, don't have to worry about that.**_ "

Roshi chuckled a bit as the gate came into view, waving to the on-duty Chuunin, who took his return with a wave of their own, his coming and going for his personal training a well known fact to the Gate Guards by this point.

He took a moment to marvel the feeling of walking through the streets of Konohagakure, he would never tire of the welcoming feeling it gave him as now known faces waved and called out to him in greeting, in a stark contrast to the cold reception he had gotten in Iwagakure during his time there.

"Ah, welcome back, Roshi-san!" one of the Uchiha guards for the Clan Building called out as he walked up. "How did your training go?"

Roshi gave him a smile in response. "Making progress, but doesn't seem like I'll be there anytime soon," he admitted to the guard, Sensui, his name was if he was remembering correctly.

"Ah, well, keep at it I guess," Sensui chuckled as he shrugged helplessly. "Good luck with your future training."

"Thanks," Roshi said, clapping the guard on his shoulder as he passed through. "You as well."

He made his way up the flights of stairs, to the top floor, greeting a few of the residence as they passed one another before finally arriving at his home. Even to this day, it was a bit of a giddy feeling as he walked in and was greeted by his wife.

"Welcome home," Yuriko called out warmly, looking at him over her shoulder as she cut some vegetables for dinner, nearby his _daughter_ was playing with a stack of blocks, squealing in excitement whenever she knocked them down. "How was your day?"

"Not as productive as I hoped, but still pretty good," Roshi commented, taking off his sandals as he walked in, looking his wife over carefully.

While to the eye of anyone else, it would seem like she was in a perfectly good mood, to his own practiced eye, he could see the tension in her shoulders occasionally while her smile seemed to hold an uncertain edge to it.

"What happened?" he asked her in concern as he walked over to her, wrapping his hands around her waist as he pulled her closer.

Yuriko hummed a bit, enjoying the closeness of the action for a moment before replying. "A couple of things," she admitted. "I'll be proctoring the Third Round of the upcoming Chunin Exams," she explained, hm, something different, but not enough to concern her. "The Jinchuuriki of Sunagakure will be attending this year," Ah, a noticeable concern there, given what he heard about the Ichibi's host. "He also believes Orochimaru is going to be attacking during the exam, most likely the third round," Oh… that's even more trouble. "And then…" he blinked as she trailed off, a slightly troubled look on her face.

Uh oh, better brace myself.

"He is also going to announce me as his successor for the title of Hokage," she announced with a serious look.

Oh, was that all-

"Wait… what?" Roshi questioned flatly, looking as surprised as she was about that.

Yuriko gave him a dry look. "Yeah, that was my response," she commented, leaning into him a bit. "Not something I can exactly turn down…"

"How are you feeling?" Roshi questioned, a concerned look on his face.

"Kinda shocked still, too be honest," she admitted with a sigh. "I understand his logic, behind it, but… I honestly never even _wanted_ to be Hokage…"

Roshi hummed his understanding, rubbing her stomach, his fingers brushing over her taut muscles hidden under smooth flesh. "I think… that's why you are the best choice for it," he admitted, getting a surprised look from his wife. "You _know_ the burden that kind of position has, and you won't be one to abuse it. Plus, you are strong, a symbol for the entire village to look to for hope when times are dark."

His ever lovely wife grumbled at that. "But Naruto-kun's set his heart on becoming Hokage."

Roshi chuckled. "And he has at least a decade before he's ready for such a thing," Roshi pointed out. "Have you decided on your guard."

"Yeah… I already asked Genma, and he accepted," she admitted, smiling a little at her friend's acceptance. "I was also thinking of asking Chika-chan and Aoi-kun when we got together for our monthly get together."

Roshi hummed in response, kissing the crook of her neck. "Not bad choices," he murmured into her ear, getting a shudder from her as his warm breath ghosted across her skin.

"Mm," she moaned quietly, glancing over to Madoka. "Not now, hun," she patted his hands. "I'm making dinner."

Roshi chuckled a bit as he acquiesced and let her go. "I can wait," he commented in amusement, his eyes glinting at her as she smiled back at him, looking far more relaxed than before.

"Well, you're going to have to," she told him primly, getting a laugh from the Jinchuuriki. "Now go and wash yourself before dinner, you're filthy."

"Yes dear," he complied easily, heading to the bathroom to do so.

Letting out a small sigh of contentment, Yuriko turned back to her meal preparations and got back to work.

* * *

I smiled a bit as I watched the genin file into the classroom the first exam was taking place in, watching through a security camera. As the Third Stage Proctor, I didn't need to show myself until they got to the central tower of the Forest of Death, after all.

Both of the stages for this exam were the same as in the original timeline: Ibiki's Impossible Situation and Anko's 'Run like Hell through the Deadly Forest' (As she called it) plan. The addition of Kirigakure and Iwagakure genin was something of a shock to most of the genin from Konoha, I could tell. Not surprising really, considering how we had only just patched up with Iwa and Kiri was still in the middle of rebuilding themselves.

What worried me was the possibility that Orochimaru would pull the same tricks that he did in the original timeline. It took me a while, but I finally found the Kusa genin kunoichi that he had stolen the face from. Was it him? Or had he waited to steal her face until after this exam?

As most of the Uchiha Clan were still alive, he had no real _need_ to go after Sasuke-kun. The only possible reason for him to do so would be some sort of twisted version of revenge against Itachi for crushing his attempt to steal his body. Then again, we policed our dead with an almost religious fervour, especially since I had been made Clan Head. This might be his best chance to steal a Sharingan and thumb his nose at Hiruzen at the same time.

"Hm, looks like quite the batch of genin," Ibiki muttered. "Yuriko-san, three of them are your trainees?"

"I've trained three of them on and off for a few years, yes." I admitted. The man nodded, his scarred face looking rather intimidating.

"I'll have to keep an eye on them then." he smirked cruelly.

"Don't go overboard." I chuckled uneasily.

"No promises." Ibiki answered before looking around at his proctors. "It's almost time. I want professional attitudes from the lot of you. We'll move in on my mark."

On the screen, I noticed that _slimeball_ Kabuto talking to the 'Rookie Nine' and showing off his cards. Sasuke had a suspicious look in his eyes. Good. My drilling in of how valuable information was to a shinobi was making him wary of someone who was giving it out without charging for it like the bespectacled 'genin' was doing.

I watched the silver haired 'genin' carefully for several moments before turning to one of the chunin on standby. "I want the profile for Kabuto Yakushi," I told the man sternly, getting a nod from him as he moved off to complete my request.

"What's up? Thinking of getting some genin action going on behind Roshi-san's back?" Anko asked teasingly, going to rib me only to freeze as I turned my gaze to her. "Uhhh… maybe not then?"

"Something feels off about him," I replied. "Like how did he get the number and ranks of the missions a shinobi completed," I pointed out. "That's classified to the clerical chunin."

Anko blinked at my response and opened her mouth to say something only to pause as she frowned. "That's… huh…" she murmured as the chunin came back with the requested profile and handed it off to me.

I quickly read through the dossier, already knowing most of this information as I took in everything. I signaled one of the ANBU on standby for an emergency. "Keep an eye on him, if he takes a shit, I want to know about it," I told the ANBU sternly. "Record his every move and do _not_ let him out of your sight, or allow yourself to be seen, he's ROOT trained."

The ANBU nodded before flickering away as Anko looked a the genin with wide eyes. "ROOT trained? What makes you say that?" she questioned in confusion.

"Take a look at who sponsored for him to take the genin exam without attending the academy," I told her, passing the special jonin the profile as Ibiki made his entrance.

"Danzo," she breathed, her eyes wide. "How did we miss this?"

"We didn't, we just thought he wasn't programmed," I mentioned. "He blended into society well enough, and we didn't deem him a threat to security. That has changed, however."

And hopefully, with a fully trained ANBU following him, we can get some leads on Suna joining Oto's offense, or even, where Orochimaru is hiding in the village.

"But, if he's leaking the information, who is he leaking it to?" Anko questioned with a frown. "And why not just drag him in?"

"Because, this way, we can get _more_ info from him without him realizing it," I explained. "Don't single him out during your exam, treat him like any other genin."

Anko nodded slowly. "Right, will do," she assured with a quick nod of agreement.

I let out a hum, accepting her words as I continued to focus down on the screen.

Let the snake hunt begin.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 80  
 **EXP** : 19,047/60,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 140 (210) **  
LUK -** 45 (65)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254


	29. Chapter 26: Snakebite

"Your boys are something alright," Ibiki announced as he entered the viewing room again, once Anko left with the remaining genin. "Naruto especially, rallied the other genin pretty quickly."

I smirked a bit at him in response. "Not surprised," I said, shrugging. "He has a natural charisma to him that draws people in."

Ibiki chuckled in amusement as the cameras switched to a feed of the Forest of Death as Anko began her explanation for the second stage.

"How is the betting pool doing?" I asked, quirking my eyebrow at the T&I specialist, it was pretty much an open secret, that every year those who were chunin and above, participated in a betting pool surrounding the Chunin Exams, everything from who would make it to the very end, to who got promoted, and one persistent guy who kept betting on an invasion happening.

Considering how the odds kept getting more and more skewed every time an invasion didn't happen, the guy was going to seriously rake in the cash if he survived the Oto-Suna War.

I let out a small sigh as I saw the genin line up at their gates, waiting for the signal to start. "So, how many do you think will pass this round?" I questioned with a small smirk.

"Considering that it's Anko we're talking about, combined with the Forest of Death?" Ibiki smirked.

I chuckled a bit in response. The Forest of Death truly did earn its name, if anything, the anime _undersold_ how dangerous the place was with the number of animals, plants and unidentified… _things_ that filled it. The only reason that they hadn't flooded out of the training ground was due to the numerous seals that lined the forest and were maintained on a weekly basis.

"I think a good number will make it through," I commented with a shrug. "Enough that we need to have some prelims beforehand."

That made the joint-head of T&I raise his eyebrows. Contrary to most expectations, usually the First and Second Rounds cleared enough of the candidates that there was no need for a Preliminary Round before the Third Round.

"I know where to put my money then." he replied simply. Evidently my words was good enough for him.

I let out a chuckle as the genin took off running into the forest. "If you'll excuse me," I said in amusement. "I would like to be at the tower for the first team of genin arrive."

Ibiki blinked again as he turned to look at me in shock. "Damn," I could hear him mutter under his breath. "Guess this year is going to be a chaotic one…"

* * *

My own trip to the center of the forest of death was a quick one, unhindered by not needing the scrolls the genin did, knowing where I was going, and finally, the fact that any animal that I did come across in the forest quickly turned tail and ran from me.

"Welcome, Yuriko-sama!" one of the chunin called out in greeting as I landed on the roof of the tower.

"Hello, Teguchi-san," I greeted politely in response. "Have any genin made it here yet?"

"A couple of teams made it to the tower, and are setting up to ambush others approaching," Teguchi replied with a shrug. "No one has entered yet, however."

According to the frustratingly dim memories I had, the Sand Siblings had made it to the tower a mere three hours after the exam began. Would that be a good point to try and rein Gaara-kun in?

Letting out a sigh, I shook my head of that thought. That could be easily misconstrued as attempting to sabotage a foreign team. Looks like I would have to wait to see if he tried to kill someone during the third stage or the prelims.

I blinked as a wave of killing intent washed over us, the two chunin guarding the roof shuddering in an instinctual fear as I turned to face the origin point of it.

Narrowing my eyes, I checked the seals I had placed on my clan members, Naruto-kun's and Sakura-chan's, and found that the seals on team seven were going crazy in response to something. "Send an alert to Hiruzen-sama," I instructed one of the chunin. "Inform him that the snake seems to have struck early."

I didn't wait for the chunin to reply as I leapt off the roof and made a beeline for where the killing intent was originating.

It didn't take me long to arrive, my sharingan already active as I quickly took in the scene before me, spotting Orochimaru with his disguise melting off his body as he leered at the three genin as they tried to keep themselves upright in the face of his killing intent.

I didn't even say a word as I struck out with my kodachi, the sannin reacting to my attack by blocking it with his Kusanagi. "My, my, it has been a while, hasn't it, Yuriko-chan," Orochimaru said in greeting as he tried to push me off balance.

"Orochimaru," I replied calmly, a veil of politeness in my voice as we broke away from each other. "One chance, out of respect, will you surrender?"

Orochimaru blinked before letting out that creepy chuckle of his as he pulled off the remains of his disguise. "Oh? What's this? Little Yuriko-chan thinks she can take on one of the sannin does she? All grown up now that she's the leader of the clan, hmm?"

I let out a sigh as I shook my head. "Mm, maybe you will eventually defeat me, should we fight," I admitted easily, a quick look at his stats showed him sitting at level 89, nine levels higher than my own. "But, can you do so without cost to yourself? And before all of Konohagakure's ANBU forces arrive on scene with Hiruzen-sama?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in response as he weighed his options, his eyes darting from me, to the genin behind me, and back to me. "Very clever. Very clever indeed, Yuriko-chan." he admitted in a less condescending voice. "I was going to give Sasuke-kun a little gift, but that can wait… for now. As the price for interfering, however…"

I tensed as I narrowed my eyes at him carefully, my eyes morphing into their evolved state as I wrapped my [ **Susano'o** ] around myself and the genin behind me. "Oh? And what would that be?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Orochimaru smirk as he raised his hand, that had been holding Kusanagi.

My eyes widened second before the sword he subtly threw behind me before my [ **Susano'o** ] cut into the side of my stomach, injecting its poison into my body as a shout of pain escaped from my lips.

"Fare well for now, Yuriko-chan, Sasuke-kun," he chuckled out as he began to sink into the branch he was standing on as I collapsed to my knee.

"Nee-san!" Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun called out in concern.

"I'm… fine…" I ground out. I had been inflicted with the [ **Heavy Venom (Unique)** ] Debuff. It was eating away at my health and chakra like crazy and I was getting a numb sensation spreading throughout my midriff. I had to heal, quickly. Only Tsunade had ever healed the poison of the Kusanagi before in the previous timeline, so this would be quite the challenge.

"Get… going…" I told the trio sternly, giving them a quick smile. "I'll meet you… at the tower. I… promise."

Something I had tried to do was to never break my promises, so this made my three sort-of-students relax slightly.

"Okay…" Naruto-kun murmured worriedly, taking a step back with a worried look in my direction before the three of them reluctantly leapt off into the forest.

I took in a deep, shuddering breath as they left, leaning against the tree so I didn't fall down. That done, I placed a hand over my wound and began channeling my healing chakra into it, closing my eyes to focus properly on it.

The poison Orochimaru had inflicted upon me was an insidious one, it seems, focusing on my cellular structure rather than any of my organs like most poisons. Not only does it make the damage it inflicts upon me more dangerous, but made it harder to heal me and purge it from my body.

It wasn't chakra resistant, but it spread itself so fast that most average Med-nins couldn't keep up with it. Not only that, it seemed to be aiming for the innermost parts of my body, in addition to my cell structure. Without actually having my hand inside my body, that made healing myself almost _insanely_ difficult.

I gritted my teeth as I pulled a small amount out from the wound as sweat dripped from my forehead, dropping myself deeper into my focus.

I had lost track of time as I worked on myself, first, quarantining the poison as I began to extract it bit, by bit. If I had access to herbs and the like, I could have extracted the poison far quicker, but I had to work with what I had available.

I let out a gasp as the last of the poison was torn from my body, sweat dripping from my every pore as I began to work on sealing the wound and repairing the damage I had taken. Glancing up at the sun, I figured that about four or five hours had passed while I had focussed on purging myself of the poison.

The tapping sound of somebody landing nearby, brought my attention up to Anko who was staring at me wide-eyed. "What the hell happened to you?" she questioned in shock.

"Snake… bastard." I rasped. "T-Tried to… bite… Sasuke-kun. Cut me with… Kusanagi."

Anko growled as she looked around. "Where is he?" she growled out, tensing to leap after him.

" _No_ ," I said, filling the single word with as much venom as I could, the woman flinching as she looked back at me nervously. "He wants you… to do that. Don't… give him the… satisfaction."

Anko shifted around a bit, looking torn before finally nodding her acceptance and moved to let me lean on her shoulder as I got back to my feet. "Will you be alright?" she asked in concern.

"I'll be fine," I grunted out with greeted teeth. "Call for Saya-taicho when we're back at the tower, she'll fix up anything I missed. If nothing else… I've patched myself up enough to survive that long."

Anko nodded her understanding as she guided the two of us back to the tower, avoiding any of the genin that may be in the area. "Anything else?" she asked for confirmation.

"Unsure," I admitted with pants as my eyes grew heavier. "But… I will be out for the night… at least."

I felt, more than saw, Anko nod in understanding. "I'll let Hokage-sama know," was the last thing I heard before I fell unconscious.

* * *

 **Quest Success**

 **You have driven off Orochimaru and prevented him from Marking Sasuke Uchiha with the Cursed Seal of Heaven**

 **+80,000 EXP**

 **Bonus Quest**

 **You cured yourself of Kusanagi's poison without the aid of any antivenin plants or support from any other medic-nin**

 **Master Med-Nin Perk Awarded**

 **[Master Med-Nin] Level N/A - +100% Effectiveness to all Iryojutsu, +20% additional effectiveness when used on self.**

* * *

"I am sorry to disturb you, but it is time for you to be awake, Yuriko-chan." an amused and familiar voice said as I reluctantly clawed my way back to the land of the living. Cracking an eye open blearily, I saw Hiruzen-sama sitting next to my bed, with Anko leaning against the wall and a couple of ANBU hanging around next to the door of the room.

"Owwwwwww." I deadpanned in a slurred voice. "Water?"

"Here," he chuckled as he held a cup to my lips, helping drink the liquid, my throat working greedily as I drank deeply. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," I admitted, blinking a bit, my voice recovering slightly. "How long was I out?"

"Eight hours," he assured me, smirking a bit. "Saya-chan was most irked that you got yourself into trouble again. Her words, not mine."

"Better me than Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun or Sakura-chan." I stated. "That bastard was crushing them with his KI when I arrived. Had they not been trained to deal with that kind of thing, they would have been knocked out and helpless long before I arrived. As it was, they could barely stand."

Hiruzen-sama nodded his understanding of the situation. "I understand, the three arrived not long after you did with Anko-chan, they were debriefed and let us know what happened," he assured me. "They're fine, worried, but fine."

I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. "Let me guess, 12 hours of bedrest at a minimum?" I questioned in good humor.

Hiruzen-sama chuckled in amusement, smiling at me. "Saya-chan figured you'd say that, otherwise she'd order 24 hours," he informed me.

I rolled my eyes in response. "And she's just a worrywort," I replied, smiling a bit. "I will be fine, Hiruzen-sama," I assured the leader. "I won't move from this point for 12 hours unless it is an emergency."

"Good. Now, kindly tell me exactly what happened between you and my wayward student." Hiruzen-sama said seriously.

"Not much." I admitted. "I arrived and warned him off, he retreated after using his link with the Kusanagi to sneak his sword inside of the protective area of my [ **Susano'o** ] before I activated it and levitate it into cutting my side. I let my guard down with that, I'm afraid."

"That's one of his favourite tricks with the Kusanagi no Tsurugi." the Hokage chuckled sadly. "It seems he has not lost any of his cunning since he left, or his craftiness."

Anko snarled something under her breath before flinching, one hand going to where the Proto-Cursed Seal of Heaven was located. Hoo boy. She was not going to like what I said next, then.

I let out a sigh as I slumped back. "He was trying to place a cursed seal on Sasuke-kun." I admitted, making Anko curse loudly and imaginatively. "He called it a 'little gift'. I don't think he's going to stop trying, Hiruzen-sama."

"Why would he purposefully choose Sasuke-kun?" Hiruzen-sama mused.

"Aside from revenge against Itachi for fighting him off?" I smiled bitterly. Jiraiya-sama's network had brought the news of Orochimaru's falling out with Akatsuki and a partial reason why. "Sasuke-kun is of the Uchiha Main branch, although the differences between Main Family and Branch are very slight, unlike with the Hyuuga. Sasuke has the potential to awaken the same kind of Mangekyo Sharingan as Itachi; one that has [ **Amaterasu** ] and [ **Tsukuyomi** ]. That is likely the main reason."

"And, if he gets ahold of Itachi's eyes… then he could get the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan," Hiruzen-sama commented with a frown. "I'll have ANBU discreetly watch Sasuke-kun from here on out, we won't let Orochimaru get a chance to place the Cursed Seal onto him."

I nodded thankfully to the Hokage. "Thank you, Hiruzen-sama," I said gratefully. "So, who else aside from Team 7 has arrived?"

"The Sunagakure team has arrived as well, along with Squad Nine and a team from Kirigakure," Hiruzen-sama informed me, a smile on his face. "It seems that there is a wonderful generation of shinobi approaching quickly."

I chuckled a bit in response, relaxing as Hiruzen-sama and I relaxed into an easy conversation.

* * *

Like I had thought, I was up and moving in 12 hours, although with the time of the second exam, I had more than plenty of time to recover more from Orochimaru's 'gift'. Because of my position, however, I wasn't able to really visit Naruto-kun or Sasuke-kun to reassure them that I was fine, although I did have a chunin pass a message off to them for me.

Soon enough I was standing beside Hiruzen-sama and the other proctors in front of a large statue making a hand seal as the genin that managed to get through the Second Exam were arrayed in front of us in rows.

I had to fight to suppress my grin as I accepted the ten ryo Ibiki owed me behind our backs as Hiruzen-sama spoke to the arrayed genin. Congratulating them on arriving here before turning to me.

"Hello, everyone," I called out with a polite cheerfulness that seemed to set a number of the genin at ease. "My name is Yuriko Uchiha, I will be the proctor for your third exam, which will be done in the style of a one-on-one tournament, but we currently have too many of you in here at the moment for such a thing, so… we will be having preliminary matches, starting now."

The genin began to murmur as they looked at one another in a panic before I spotted a hand being raised. "Yes, you with the white hair and glasses," I called out to the spy.

"I'd like to drop out, please," Kabuto said, looking rather apologetic and holding his side in an exaggerated manner. "We just arrived, and I don't think I have the energy to be able to fight someone right away."

I narrowed my eyes at the traitor for a moment. "Genin… Yakushi, correct?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Very well, if that is what you wish to do, I won't stop you."

Kabuto smiled fakely at me before heading out of the exam hall, completely unaware of the fact that he was being followed by a squad of ANBU every step of the way.

"Anyone else wish to leave?" I called out with a smile. "If you don't speak up now, you won't be able to leave until you're up for the prelims."

I waited for several moments for anyone to speak before nodding. "Very well there, here are the rules," I announced as a wall parted to show a screen. "This screen here will announce the matches, selecting names out randomly, as for the matches themselves, really the only rule is, when I call the match, it is over."

These genin were looking rather relaxed, can't have that now, can I?

I flooded the room with power as I closed my eyes with a wide smile, my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan activating as I formed my [ **Susano'o** ] around me. "So when I tell you to stop fighting, _stop fighting_ , or I will be your opponent," I finished in a cold tone, reopening my eyes to see a petrified group of genin.

Letting my words hang for a bit I let up my power and allowed my [ **Susano'o** ] to fade from existence. "So glad you understand," I said, kindness refilling my voice. "So, please move up to the rafters as the first names are selected."

 **Choji Akimichi  
Vs  
Sakura Haruno**

I blinked at the pairing that came up as everyone began to file up to the observation area, leaving the two genin behind. Oh, this should be an interesting match, especially considering how serious Sakura-chan took her training.

I looked back down to the two genin as they stared at each other, several paces away from one another, Sakura-chan had arrived here on her first day, giving her plenty of time to relax and recover from her time in the forest, meanwhile Choji-kun had only arrived a few hours before the end of the exam.

"Very well!" I called out in a loud voice. "Are the participants ready?"

The two of them nodded, not breaking eye contact from one another as they got into their respective stances, Sakura-chan crouching down as she pulled out a kodachi to hold in a ready position.

"BEGIN!"

On my mark, the two blurred into action the two of them, surprisingly leaping away from one another, rather than the charging in I expected from Choji-kun at least.

"Come on Sakura-chan, you can do it!" I could hear Naruto-kun shout in encouragement from where he and the rest of team seven were situated.

"Choji! If you don't beat Forehead I'll kick your ass!" Ino-chan shouted from her own position.

I rolled my eyes at their shouts before focusing in on the battle happening as Choji began to form a series of seals. "[ **Ninja Art: Multi-Size Technique** ]!" he shouted out as his body began to inflate with chakra, turning him into a ball shape before he pulled his limbs and head in. "[ **Ninja Art: Human Boulder** ]!"

I bit back a groan at the simple tactic he was employing as he began to roll towards Sakura-chan at high speeds. While the technique itself wasn't bad, and I have seen it used to devastating effect throughout the Third War, it was best used when the enemy didn't see you setting it up, the [ **Ninja Art: Partial Multi-Size Technique** ] would have been a much better choice for a one-on-one situation like this.

My point was proven rather well as she began to dodge out of the way of his attempts of squashing her underneath his mass.

She began to guide her opponent towards a specific spot where he would be trapped by the corner of two walls, leaving him trapped and unable to properly turn without stopping completely, something that he fell for without a second thought as he charged in as soon as she stopped moving.

With a rather impressive leap, Sakura-chan threw herself right over Choji-kun, leaving him to slam into the wall with an explosive impact and leaving him struggling to move out of it afterwards, leaving plenty of time for Sakura-chan to run through a hand seal sequence.

"[ **Water Release: Water Trumpet** ]!" Sakura-chan shouted out as she sprayed out a blast of water into Choji-kun's back, driving him deeper into the wall as he shouted in pain.

Unfortunately for the trapped boy she was already forming a second set of seals as he began to reduce his size to free himself from the walls. "[ **Lighting Release: Spark Storm** ]!" my student declared with a tone of finality as sparks of electricity began to surround the Akimichi heir before connecting with his water soaked body electrocuting him harshly for several moments.

"It's over!" I shouted out as Choji-kun fell, face first, onto the arena floor. "Winner! Sakura Haruno!"

Her team cheered for her as the remaining genin and arrayed jonin clapped in approval. "Mm, a good tactic she used," Hiruzen-sama said approvingly next to me. "She made good use of the environment."

I chuckled with a proud smile on my face. "No doubt," I agreed warmly. "I think she'll have a lot more to show us, next month."

Hiruzen-sama chuckled in amusement. "Indeed, something I look forward to."

The screen flashed for a moment before displaying the next two names.

 **Dosu Kinuta**

 **Vs**

 **Hinata Hyuuga**

"Oho, it seems like we finally get to see the skills of the new village," Hiruzen-sama said kindly, making me repress a snigger as the two named made their way down.

From our intelligence reports, every single one of the Otogakure shinobi, the ones who weren't originally missing-nins, are _all_ one trick ponies.

Hinata-chan on the other hand…

Well, let's just say without her self-confidence issue, she was a splendid kunoichi.

I looked between the two of them, Hinata-chan was taking several calming breaths, no doubt from the nerves of having to fight in front of so many people, while Dosu leered at her in what he must have thought to be an intimidating manner.

It honestly looked like a glare from a kitten to me, so cute.

"You know the rules," I told them calmly. "Are you both prepared?"

"Hai!" Hinata-chan called out in a firm voice as she took a slightly modified [ **Gentle Fist** ] stance.

"Let's just get this over with already," Dosu groused as he brought his melody gauntlet up. "I want to get to the real fights already."

"Very well then… _BEGIN!_ " I shouted out.

Unlike Sakura-chan and Choji-kun, Hinata-chan and Dosu both leapt towards each other to begin attacking one another, Hinata-chan not even needing to form the seals to activate her [ **Byakugan** ] as the veins bulged around her eyes as she stuck out with fingers.

Dosu let out a curse as he managed to keep himself from being hit by the fingers, Orochimaru having obviously warned him about the Hyuuga's fighting style.

A grin worked its way onto my face as I saw him move out of the way of Hinata-chan's attacks. As it stood, the girl was entirely incompatible with the standard Hyuuga taijutsu, but that didn't mean that the Hyuuga _didn't_ have their own offshoots of it.

I couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped my lips as Hinata-chan _slid_ across the ground, suddenly closing the small gap between the two genin as both of her palms came to a rest on his chest, Dosu unable to react at the sudden, unexpected movement that had happened right while she was in the middle of her attack. "[ **Sudden Drop** ]!" Hinata-chan shouted out as one of the hands on his chest moved to the waist as she suddenly shifted his center of balance completely off while pushing him to the ground. "Please surrender," Hinata-chan requested. "I do not wish to harm you any more than this if possible."

Dosu growled in anger as he reached up with his gauntlet covered arm. "Stupid bitch," he cussed out as he began to try to activate [ **Resonating Sound Drill** ] only for no chakra to even _reach_ his arm.

"I have already seal the tenketsu in your shoulders that allow chakra passage into your arms," Hinata-chan informed as one of her hands wrapped around his throat, a slight glow around them showing that she was pumping chakra into them. "Surrender."

"I… I give up!" Dosu shouted out desperately, shuddering as the hand left his throat.

"Winner! Hinata Hyuuga!" I announced to the rather shocked crowd.

I was pretty sure that the villagers in Konoha could hear Naruto-kun's shout of excitement at Hinata-chan's victory as the shy girl began to make her way up to the observation area, occasionally glancing back at Dosu who was being assisted to the recovery ward by a pair of medics.

I turned my eyes back to the board as it began to sort through the names once again.

 **Kurotsuchi  
Vs  
Misumi Tsurugi**

My eyebrow rose at the pairing as I spotted the two moving into the arena, looked like Kurotsuchi-san had grown up the last time I had saw he while I was in Iwa for the treaty signing.

I smiled at the two of them kindly as they arrived, sizing each other up, honestly, I was rather curious on how the matchup would work as well, given Kurotsuchi-san's [ **Lava Release** ] and Misumi's flexible and stretching body, the match would be interesting, if already one-sided.

"Are you ready?" I questioned, looking between the two of them who simply opted to nod their readiness. "Then, BEGIN!"

Misumi launching himself forward, looking to quickly close the distance between the two of them as Kurotsuchi-san began to quickly form seals. "[ **Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing** ]!" she shouted out as she spat out several globs of a white sludge-like substance, covering the ground before her, right before Misumi stepped in it.

"Gah!" the spy cried out in surprise and pain as his foot refused to budge from where it was stuck. "What the hell is this shit!?" he shouted out angrily as he began to try and yank himself free.

Time that Kurotsuchi was planning on allowing him if those seals she was forming were any indication. "[ **Earth Release: Fist Rock** ]!" she shouted out as she drew the ground around her to her fist, covering it in a large rock in the shape of a fist before leaping at Misumi with her hand reared back for a punch.

Misumi looked up, his eyes widening as he spotted the Iwa kunoichi flying towards him with a large fist of rock, seconds before it slammed into him with a sickening crack as he flew back, his foot obviously broken as he was torn free from his sandal before landing on the ground, unmoving.

"This match it over!" I shouted out. "Winner! Kurotsuchi!"

"Yes!" the genin shouted to herself in excitement as she did a fist pump while skipping over to the stairs leading up to the viewing area.

"She's very much like her grandfather and the First." Hiruzen smiled with a shake of his head.

"The First Tsuchikage?" I blinked.

"Yes. Although he was usually calm and composed outside of battle, during and immediately afterwards, he could be both savage and excitable." Hiruzen-sama explained to me. "Onoki is unlike him in that regard, but apparently she is like her ancestor more than her grandfather. How interesting…"

I hummed in response, I didn't really know that much about the other village founders, and learning anything about them was a rather interesting experience.

But that was neither here nor there as the board caught my attention with the next contenders.

 **Naruto Uzumaki  
Vs  
Kankuro**

Oho… now this will be interesting.

Naruto was all smiles and energy as he moved into the ring with his characteristic energy, waving to me as I smile at him before focusing himself on his opponent. Kankuro sneered slightly at the sight of my younger brother, but then put a serious face on when Naruto stared him in the eyes.

"Are the both of you prepared?" I asked, looking between them.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto said, grinning widely as he met Kankuro's gaze.

"Yeah, yeah," Kankuro said in a rather dismissive tone.

"Begin," I told the two of them with a smirk.

Naruto moved into action as he surged forward, making Kankuro blink in surprise at the sudden action as Naruto's grin melted from his face as his tanto appeared in his hand.

Kankuro managed to pull himself back as the edge of the tanto nearly cut though his chest before trying to punch my little brother who simply spun himself out of the way as he channeled wind chakra into his tanto before slashing this time, extending the end of the blade.

'Kankuro' staggered back as the henge around him dispelled to show the wooden construct that was his puppet as Kankuro himself was revealed to have been in the wrapped package he was carrying. "Tch, to think I'd have to show Karasu so early," he grunted out in complaint. "Nasty trick with your tanto there…"

Naruto-kun smirked a bit as he held his tanto at the ready. "Pretty smart trick yourself, must've taken a lot of practice to control your puppet from inside of the package like that."

Kankuro blinked in surprise, obviously not expecting that response from Naruto-kun. "Heh, yeah it did," he said with a grin as he began to manipulate his puppet. "Let me show you some more tricks I've got!"

Kankuro waved his hands out as his puppet rattled for a moment before suddenly exploding into pieces that began to levitate into the air, surrounding Naruto-kun.

My little brother blinked in surprise as he looked at them before reacting as he dodge a few that looked to hit him off balance before being caught off guard as an oncoming arm grabbed the head that he dodged and slammed it into his head, seconds before a pair of hands grabbed onto him and began to drag him to the main body.

I saw Naruto-kun smirk as they threw him in, his hands forming a familiar cross shaped seal before the body closed in on him. "[ **Black Secret Technique: Iron Maiden!** ]" Kankuro shouted as the numerous parts of his puppet extended their blades before slamming into the puppet, no doubt intending to skewer my little brother. Cries from the gallery, including Sakura, Hinata and, surprisingly, Ino, washed over me.

"Heh, might as well call it, Miss Proctor!" Kankuro shouted out as I look at him with an emotionless gaze. "This match it over."

He blinked as I smirked at him before Naruto-kun appeared behind him. "Yeah! It is!" he shouted eagerly as he slammed his fist into the back of Kankuro's skull, sending the older genin toppling over before climbing on top of him and placing his tanto at his throat.

"I give up!" Kankuro called out quickly, and smartly too.

"Winner! Naruto Uzumaki!" I shouted out loudly over the shouts from the watching crowd.

"YEAH!" Naruto shouted happily as he leapt to his feet, pumping his hands into the air. "Who's awesome, I am!"

"Man…" Kankuro grumbled, standing up and retrieving his puppet before turning to nod to Naruto-kun. "Good match."

"You too." Naruto-kun smirked and shook Kankuro's hand. "You almost had me there."

I smirked as I watched Naruto-kun make yet another friend as he was so good at doing as the randomizer began to activate again. "He's growing up so quickly," I murmured quietly to Hiruzen-sama who nodded in agreement.

"He takes after his parents quite well," he murmured, before turning to me with a significant look. "All three of them."

I blushed at the implication. "I'm not his mother." I whispered.

"You raised him as well as you could, even if your mother helped." Hiruzen-sama disagreed softly. "Be proud, Yuriko; Naruto-kun is becoming a man and a ninja to be proud of."

I smiled a bit in response as I looked back to Naruto-kun who was talking animatedly with Kankuro who was just as animated. "Yeah, he really is," I murmured back before looking up at the sign as it declared the next match.

 **Tenten  
Vs  
Amane Dorogata**

I blinked at the unfamiliar name as Tenten walked down to the arena a wide grin on her face as her opponent did the same, an Iwa nin with dusky skin and dark brown hair and eyes.

"Are the two of you ready?" I questioned the two of them, getting nods in response. "Then, Begin!"

Tenten came out of the gate swinging it seems as she hurled a brace of kunai at her opponent who threw himself forward into a roll, showing impressive concentration as he formed hand seals, declaring his jutsu as he came up out of it. "[ **Earth Release: Rock Bullets** ]!"

From his mouth, he spat several pieces of rock that grew to the size of small melons. Tenten had to dodge all of them, but did so with ease. I suppose it made sense; compared to the fists of Gai, Lee and Neji, the rocks were slow as hell.

The match quickly fell into a ranged shooting gallery of a sorts, with each of the contenders doing their best to hit the other while dodging projectiles at the same time, Tenten, because this is what she excelled at, and Amane because he couldn't close the gap enough with Tenten to force into a close quarters match.

Tenten grinned as she hit him with another kunai in the thigh, slowing him down even further as she continued to dance around, slowing the Iwa-nin further.

"I think it's time to end this!" Tenten shouted out as she began to run forward, grabbing a scroll at her waist as Amane put himself into a defensive position only for Tenten to stop short. "Here we go!" she called out as she unsealed a massive weighted chain, a manriki-gusari I think it was, and flicked it in just the right way to wrap around Amane who wasn't able to leap out of the way in time with the kunai in his thigh, entraping him as she leapt up with her scroll wide open. "[ **Manipulated Tools: Binding Meteor** ]!"

A large number of weapons came flying out of the scroll as the genin could only look up in resignation before calling out. "I surrender!"

I moved instantly, appearing next to the genin with the ribcage of my [ **Susano'o** ] surrounding us, right before the weapons slammed into my chakra construct, bouncing off relatively harmlessly. "By way of surrender, we have a winner," I announced calmly to the crowd once the barrage was over. "Tenten."

I looked over the Iwa genin who was still looking up with a pale face. "Medic!" I called out, summoning one of the medical ninja who quickly escorted the shocked genin out of the arena to tend to his wounds.

"I'm sorry! Yuriko-sama!" Tenten apologised quickly. "I didn't mean-"

"It's quite alright," I assured her with a smile, patting her on the shoulder. "It was a splendid technique, but I would work on a way to control it after launching it, if I were you anyways."

"R-right!" Tenten shouted, her eyes glimmering in excitement as she went about gathering her assorted weapons.

I smiled at her before stepping back and taking my place beside Hokage-sama, well, even without Orochimaru, the rest of this exam should be an interesting event.

I looked up at the board and blinked in surprise.

 **Gaara  
Vs  
Rock Lee**

Yup, definitely interesting.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

* * *

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 81  
 **EXP** : 39,047/70,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 140 (210) **  
LUK -** 45 (65)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254  
 **Stat Points: 10**

* * *

 **New Perk**

 **[Master Med-Nin] Level N/A - +100% Effectiveness to all Iryojutsu, +20% additional effectiveness when used on self.**


	30. 27: End of the Prelims: Hokage Announcem

I frowned slightly as I watched Lee-kun and Gaara-kun make their way down to the arena from the stands, a feeling of worry building up in my chest. Would there have been enough changes to canon to allow Lee-kun to actually walk away from this? Or would history repeat itself?

If memory served, the initial injury that Lee-kun had received from Gaara-kun in the original timeline was just a broken leg, something that all Taijutsu fighters had to deal with at some point and easily recoverable from. What had almost ended his career as a Shinobi had been the further injuries to his arm and spine that Gaara had inflicted on him after the sand-user had already won.

Gaara-kun was just as expressionless as ever, but I knew that that was simply a facade for the bloodthirsty personality that that idiot Rasa and Shukaku had cultivated. The [ **Automatic Defence: Sand Shield** ] and [ **Final Defence: Sand Armour** ] had allowed Gaara-kun to develop a supreme being complex, as nothing had been able to hurt him in years, not even his own father. His loneliness and dislocation from his peers had driven him somewhat mad after another idiot, Yashamaru, had almost killed him on his father's orders.

Rasa had obviously been trying to kill Gaara-kun's emotions, in an even less humane way than Danzo had tried with his Root operatives. Wow… someone being worse than _Danzo_ in that department… harsh.

By contrast, Lee-kun was just as much an excited ball of energy as he had always been. If things were going to turn out like they had in the original timeline, then everyone was going to see why a ninja did not need chakra or talent to be a force to be reckoned with.

I took in a calming breath as I looked between the two. "Are the both of you ready?" I questioned, getting nods from the both of them as Lee gave me a 'Nice Gai' pose. "Very well, BEGIN!"

I will just have to be ready to act if I am needed.

Lee-kun exploded into motion at my announcement as he threw a punch at Gaara-kun so quickly that if you had blinked, you would have missed it. Just as quickly, however, a tendail of sand blocked his fist. Karura-san's dying will to protect her son was almost enough to make me cry.

But, it wouldn't do for me to do that right here and now as I schooled my features carefully, keeping a close eye on the ongoing match. "The Kazekage's son is quite talented it seems," Hiruzen-sama commented, looking over at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps," I replied evenly. "But it seems like he is wasting his potential to me, he seems more like a wild animal to me right now than a shinobi."

Hiruzen-sama hummed in agreement as he nodded. "Indeed, he is quite bad at hiding his intentions, isn't he?" he sighed as he shook his head. "Such a shame, with the proper guidance, he could become truly amazing."

I closed my eyes as I nodded. "That he could," I murmured in agreement as Lee began to backflip away from the approaching sand. Gaara-kun wasn't even trying hard right now, I could tell. He was playing with Lee-kun, who had no way of attacking other than with his fists and feet. I would have to ask Gai-san why he didn't give Lee-kun more training in weapons, as that would be a very useful addition to his arsenal. In the original timeline, Lee-kun had only ever used a Six-Section Staff a grand total of once, during the Crescent Moon Kingdom incident.

Making a note to bring that up with Gai-san, I refocused on the match as Lee-kun deftly avoided Gaara-kun's sand attacks with the minimal amount of movement necessary.

Really, Lee-kun was nothing short of a genius in his own way, how could he be anything else when standing on this stage with nothing but his taijutsu.

Lee-kun was forced back, the green-clad genin landing on the statue of the hand-seals above me. Ah. It was about to happen.

"Lee! Take 'em off!" Gai-san boomed with a 'Nice Gai' pose.

Really, those weights of his were ridiculous, I couldn't help but note just how _deep_ of a crater they made upon landing as Lee-kun began stretching. "Really, Gai-san…" I chuckled in amusement. "You truly did find a diamond in the rough." Because really, what else _could_ Lee-kun be if he not only was able to _endure_ such continual hellish training, but _flourish_ under it.

The crowd gasped in shock as Lee-kun _vanished_ from sight, no jutsu like my [ **Inaba Flicker** ], just pure speed. Seriously, I shudder at the through of Lee-kun actually being _able_ to use jutsu with his current work ethic.

Gaara-kun's eyes widened in shock as something struck his shield behind him, only for there to be nothing there as he turned to face the threat. Another strike hit the shield from behind, making him turn once more, confusion obvious in his eyes as blows started to rain on his shield from all directions without pause.

I had my own Sharingan active to help me track Lee-kun's movements as he rapidly move around the circumference of Gaara-kun's shield, probing it for weakpoints with rapid-fire jabs and kicks before he wound a punch up and broke _through_ the shield, grazing Gaara-kun's cheek.

Before the Jinchuuriki could even react to this, Lee-kun was already moving away and launching a kick at Gaara-kun's back, the sand struggling to keep up with the speed of the genin.

"Truly, in terms of pure physical capabilities, Lee-kun is nearly at the jonin level," Hiruzen-sama commented with a proud smile. "But… unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that will be enough."

"I wouldn't say that, I think Lee-kun still has some more tricks up his sleeve," I said with a chuckle.

"I have no doubt about that," Hiruzen-sama assured with a nod as Lee-kun managed to land a solid blow on Gaara-kun's cheek. "But… I do not believe his current mindset is that of a chunin at this time."

I grimaced a bit in response, unable to counter his point. The simple truth of the matter was that Lee-kun's limitation was not his lack of ability to fully utilize chakra outside of the basic self-reinforcement and 'walking exercises'. It was his mindset of 'charge the enemy' that held him back the most.

Really, while his taijutsu is very powerful, I would even go as far as saying it was better than my own, he was single minded in his approach as to how he used it. Rather than trying to brute force his way through, he should be seeking other avenues of attacks, like leaving behind explosive tags when he punched through the sand.

Bluntly, he was not acting like a ninja. I knew he was capable of being stealthy after the timeskip in the original timeline, but right here, right now? He was as stealthy and subtle as an elephant. His combat abilities were unbelievable considering his inability to use most external chakra jutsu, but I was forced to agree with Hiruzen-sama in this regard. Lee-kun needed far more tempering before he was ready to be a Chunin.

It was a shame, but it didn't look like anything would be changing from this fight. Letting out a sigh I watched as Lee-kun unleashed the Front Lotus on Gaara-kun before signalling a nearby chuunin. "Have the medics prep the surgery theatre," I instructed in a low voice, watching as everyone witnessed Gaara-kun's replacement.

"Yes, Yuriko-sama," the chunin confirmed before disappearing, getting a raised eyebrow from Hiruzen-sama.

"Just in case?" he questioned curiously.

I nodded in response. "I have a feeling that Lee-kun is going to go overboard, and Gaara-kun will follow suit," I replied calmly. "Not to mention the fact that Gaara-kun's bloodlust has been growing by the second…"

Hiruzen-sama hummed in response, the Jinchuriki of Shukaku did a good job of hiding it, mostly, but for shinobi like myself and Hiruzen-sama, it was plain as day how much he wanted to kill Lee-kun. "Agreed. Be ready to act if Gaara-kun does go too far."

"That was my intention, Hiruzen-sama." I retorted with a small snort.

Hiruzen-sama chuckled at my response, glancing over to me in the corner of his eye as I tensed for action, my eyes narrowing as Lee-kun began to open his Inner Gates. "Gai-san..." I sighed in resignation.

"Mm, to be able to open the Gates at his age, a remarkable feat." Hiruzen-sama nodded slowly before sighing. "Sadly, using it like this will seriously damage his body, to the point that he will be in hospital for most of the next month at least. A poor decision."

I nodded in response. "His body isn't prepared for the strain of anything more than the first gate," I agreed. "It has yet to finish maturing and isn't stable enough to channel the raw chakra blocked by the gates."

Hiruzen-sama smirked over at me. "I do hope that you will be able to ensure he can correct that fact," he informed me.

"I shall do my best," I assured him, smiling a bit. "Although… it would be easier if Tsunade-san was here as well."

Just as I finished speaking, I was treated to one of the most awe-inspiring sights of the pre-timeskip show...Lee-kun pummelling Gaara-kun in midair like a punching bag. He moved so fast that even my Sharingan at the three-tomoe level was barely enough to see the way he moved. He hit the redheaded Jinchuriki so many times that I would have lost count had it not been for my eyes.

Wrapping Gaara-kun in bandages, Lee-kun drew back a fist as he sped down towards the bound Jinchuriki. " **[Hidden Lotus]**!" he shouted before slamming his fist into Gaara-kun, sending him slamming into the ground like a missile, sending a large dust cloud up. Temari-chan and Kankuro-kun looked horrified, which was heartening to see. They really did want to see Gaara-kun as their brother.

Lee-kun landed awkwardly, his muscles spasming. The power and fury of the **[Hidden Lotus]** had faded, leaving him so weak he could be beaten by a third year academy student, let alone a genin. This was why the Inner Gates was considered a jutsu of last resort.

Gai-san caught my eye and shook his head, silently asking me not to interfere. I shook my head back, denying him. I was the proctor, not him.

"This match it over!" I announced, getting shocked looks from everyone. "I judge Rock Lee to be unable to continue! The winner is Gaara!"

There was shocked and confused murmurings from the genin as the assorted jonin nodded in agreement, seconds before sand launched out to strike at the weakened Leaf Genin. In a flash, I stood in front of Lee-kun, surrounding him in the ribcage of my **[Susano'o]** that the sand was unable to penetrate.

"Did you not hear me, Gaara of the Desert?" I asked mildly. "This match...is _over_."

Gaara-kun emerged from the dust cloud, eye boring into me and KI spewing like flood water over me. It was rather impressive for a genin, but I was no genin. "His death will prove my existence!" the redhead snarled.

The genin and jonin shuddered when Gaara-kun unleashed his KI.

They nearly _fainted_ when I unleashed my own as I glared at the Jinchuriki with my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. "You _will_ stand down, _genin_." I said in a soft tone that carried throughout the entire arena. "If you seek to continue, disqualification will be the _least_ of your worries."

Gaara-kun froze, his eyes going wide as I pressed my intent upon him, only letting up when he took a hesitant step back. "A smart choice," I informed him before turning behind me to Lee-kun who was being supported by Gai-san. "Bring him to the infirmary, they are setting up for his surgery."

Gai-san swallowed tightly before nodding his accepting his assistance as he picked up his genin and moved to bring him to the infirmary. "Would you please take my place for the remaining ones, Anko-san," I requested the special jonin who nodded quickly in response, the memory of my KI still in her mind. "My thanks."

I followed after Gai-san and Lee-kun, preparing myself for his surgery as I moved. While not as bad as in canon, this was still going to be a rough surgery.

Time to prove my skill once again.

* * *

The damage to Lee-kun was even worse than I had thought, micro-fractures along his entire skeletal structure, his left arm and right leg were literally in pieces, while his heart was on the verge of exploding from the amount of blood that had been forced through it.

As it stood, he would make a recovery, but he would be sidelined for at least three months, preferably five just to be absolutely certain he was fully recovered, and that was including physiotherapy.

I left the theatre and met Gai-san, who was waiting anxiously.

"He'll recover, but it'll take half a year IF he doesn't overdo it and IF he follows the recovery plan to the letter." I said sharply, making the normally exuberant elite jonin flinch. "Gai-san, I am not a Jonin-sensei, nor do I claim to know everything about Lee-kun, but his education as a shinobi is shockingly lopsided. Even with his inability to use most forms of external chakra expression, I can think of over a dozen ways he could have fought Gaara that were smarter and more sophisticated than 'CHARGE!' like he was doing out there. You've done a tremendous job in training his body...now you must train his mind, or he will never rise to fulfil the potential that both I and Hokage-sama can see in him."

With those icy words, I left him frowning in contemplation to return to the arena.

It was harsh, and it hurt me to strike at someone I respected so much in such a manner, but it was something that was needed to be said. Things have begun to change in a manner that I couldn't predict, so I needed to make sure _everyone_ was able to fight at their best.

Closing my eyes I paused for a moment to take in a breath and gathered myself before stepping into the prelim's arena as the matchings for the tournament were announced. I quickly glanced over the matchings and paused for a moment as I looked over them.

 **Match One  
Naruto Uzumaki vs Neji Hyuuga**

 **Match Two  
Kurotsuchi vs Chojuro**

 **Match Three  
Sakura Haruno vs Temari**

 **Match Four  
Shikamaru Nara vs Shino Aburame**

 **Match Five  
Gaara vs Sasuke Uchiha**

Different, yet the same, funny how life works out like that.

It seemed like that Hiruzen-sama had just finished his speech about the coming month as the remaining ten combatants were looking a bit contemplative, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan all looking at me with hopeful eyes, obviously hoping that I would be able to help them train.

Unfortunately for them, that wasn't about to happen this time around.

"You are all dismissed now, I wish you the best of luck in one month's time from now," Hiruzen-sama said with a kind smile to all of the genin. "I look forward to seeing your growth and development."

Taking their cue, the genin began to follow their Jonin-sensei out of the arena as I approached Hiruzen-sama. "My apologies for leaving part way through, Hiruzen-sama," I said with a slight bow of my head.

"It is of no concern," the aged leader replied with a smile. "How is Lee-kun?"

"In recovery, so long as he sticks to the recovery plan I gave to Gai-san and doesn't overdo his physiotherapy, he should be able to resume his duties within the year," I informed with a soft smile.

Hiruzen-sama smile at me as he motioned for me to follow him. "That is good to hear," he said with a relieved sigh. "I would hate to see the promising career of one so young to be snuffed out so soon."

I nodded in agreement as I followed the aged leader into the forest, the assorted predators obviously knowing better than to try to attack the two of us.

"Are you prepared?" He questioned me, looking over his shoulder at me with a quizzical look. "This council meeting is going to be a turning moment for you."

I took in a breath and smiled at him. "I will be," I assured him. "I will be ready to take your seat at the end of the exams."

He smiled at me warmly in response. "That is good to hear, Yuriko-chan," he told me with a soft sigh as he looked up at the sky that peeked through the foliage of the forest. "Trust me when I say that I know I am leaving the village in capable hands."

I bowed my head in acceptance of his words. "I shall do my best to live up to that trust," I replied with a smile, a warm feeling building up inside of me at those words. "If you would allow it, Hiruzen-sama, this coming month, I would wish to take a small leave of absence to do some personal training, starting after this council meeting."

The Hokage paused for a moment at my words before turning to face me with a quizzical look at me.

"I am fully confident in my ability to fight and survive, but I feel that if I am to lead this village, I need to be even stronger than I am," I told him bluntly. "Orochimaru's sneak attack on me proved that I am not completely ready to lead the village just yet."

He hummed in response before nodding. "I shall allow this," he informed me in a firm tone. "Take this time to make any preparations you see fit," he instructed me. "I expect to see you in my office for a debriefing three days before the start of the final stage of the chunin exams."

I nodded in response. "As you wish, Hokage-sama," I replied formally, bowing to him.

"I think that's enough of the formality," he replied with a chuckle as he turned to resume our trek through the forest. "Where do you plan on doing your training?"

I remained silent for a moment, gathering my thoughts before replying. "The being that gave me my power, decided to help me out a bit more and set something up to help me train," I said finally, getting a curious look from him. "We speak occasionally, but I wouldn't expect too much help from him, he does what amuses him."

Hiruzen-sama nodded his understanding. "Understandable," he replied with a heavy sigh, remembering what I told him about my suspicions about my 'friend'. "I shall trust your judgement in this then."

"Thank you, Hiruzen-sama," I said, smiling at him as we exited the forest and headed towards the village.

Our trip through the village was a more quiet one as we greeted the various civilians who were going about their days, getting ready for the finals in a month where there would be various nobles, merchants and spectators coming from afar.

Soon enough we were in the Hokage Tower heading for the council chambers where the assorted members were already gathering.

"Hey, Yuriko, how's it going?" Tsume greeted with the trademarked feral grin of the Inuzuka Clan as I took my seat next to her.

"It goes well, how about yourself, Tsume?" I questioned my compatriot with a polite smile.

"Eh, not too badly, going to have to kick Kiba's ass into shape after losing to a Nara of all people," the woman groused shooting a glare to Shikaku who chuckled lazily from where he was sitting. "Man, the kid didn't even need to lay a hand on my pup to beat him either…"

I chuckled a bit in amusement. "Perhaps he should learn to cool his head down a bit," I suggested, smiling at the Inuzuka next to me who huffed and rolled her eyes.

"You don't think I haven't been trying that?" she questioned gruffly. "He behaves less like a canny pack animal and more like a rabid beast sometimes, hopefully this will teach him otherwise…"

"I'm sure you will figure something out," I assured with another chuckle as the last member of the civilian council entered, allowing the meeting proper to start.

While most council meetings were between the clan heads, the jonin commander, the ANBU commander and the Hokage, once a month the civilian council were allowed to attend to air any concerns they had with the security of the village and to hear any official announcements being made.

Thankfully they were fully aware of what were to happen if they were to try and waste our time with meaningless concerns and only brought forth legitimate ones to be discussed, things like guards of important imports of metals that weren't found in Hi no Kuni or patrols for the farms outside of Konoha proper.

"Before we call this meeting to a close, there is one last announcement I wish to make," Hiruzen-sama announced to everyone after the final item was discussed to an acceptable conclusion. "At the end of the final stage of this chunin exam, I will be announcing my retirement and my successor."

The room paused as they stared at the Hokage in surprise, and I couldn't exactly blame them, Hiruzen-sama was the longest running Kage in the Elemental Nations, beating even the Sandaime Tsuchikage out by five years.

"Have you decided on a successor already?" Hiashi questioned curiously as he turned to look at the Hokage.

Hiruzen-sama nodded in confirmation. "I have, the one who will succeed me as the Godaime Hokage shall be Yuriko Uchiha," he informed the room as I suddenly found myself to be the object of interest for the room.

I let out a small breath as I kept myself composed under their stares.

"Is that… _wise_ , Hiruzen?" The first one to speak up was, not too surprisingly, Homura who was looking between myself and the Hokage with a nervous look. "She is still rather… young don't you think?"

"Not to mention she is descended from _him_ ," Koharu protested a bit more vehemently.

I frowned as I turned my gaze to the two councillors, but before I could reply to their accusations, however, someone else spoke up in my defense.

"If you really think she is anything like Madara, then the two of you are idiots," Shikaku spoke up, surprising everyone that his usual lazy and sleepy demeanor was nowhere to be seen. "She has done nothing but work to protect Konoha and its people since she was a genin during the last war, something, I may note, neither of you really participated in…"

The two recoiled from the unsaid accusation before someone else spoke up, surprisingly from the civilian side. "Excuse me, I know that our opinion is not as powerful as the shinobi," one of the younger civilians spoke up, the representative of the farming communities that supplies Konohagakure with its food if I remembered correctly. "But… why are you questioning Hokage-sama's decision on this?"

I barely restrained a bark of laughter that bubbled up at the young man's question, really I couldn't have scripted such a question better myself.

"I may not know shinobi very well, due to the nature of your work, but even we in the farms have heard of Yuriko Uchiha," the young man continued. "And, sorry for saying this, Hokage-sama, but… he is getting old, most people retire before they even hit your ages, Hokage-sama, honored councillors."

"No need to apologise, Higa-kun," Hiruzen-sama informed with a calm, placating smile. "You do have a point after all. I think it _is_ time for the three of us to retire, Homura, Koharu."

The two turned, opening their mouths to protest his words before freezing as they caught his eyes, while his facial expression was set in his usual grandfatherly smile, mostly for the benefit of the civilian council, his eyes were speaking a different story altogether as they glared at his two teammates with a wordless threat.

"Yuriko-chan, is there anybody you would like to request to take the position as your advisors?" he questioned, turning to me with a patient smile.

It was something I had through long and hard on, since he told me his decision. "I do," I informed calmly. "If they would be willing, I would like to work with Hiashi Hyuuga and Tsume Inuzuka as my advisors."

The gathered council members rippled for a moment at my request as Tsume stared at me for a moment before barking out in a laugh. "Sure, I'm game to advise you!" she informed in her usual brash manner as she clapped me on the shoulder.

"It would be an honor to serve as your advisor," Hiashi assured me from his position with a nod of agreement.

Hiruzen-sama smiled at the three of us before nodding. "Very well then, Yuriko Uchiha will be assuming the mantle of Hokage one week after the chunin exams are completed," he informed proudly, although he did shoot his teammates a look, telling them to silence any other arguments they had. "Homura, Koharu, kindly meet me in my office for a _discussion_ after this. The rest of you, dismissed."

"Shit, Godaime Hokage," Tsume said with a shake of her head as she grinned at me. "Quite the difference from being the Hokage's assistant, huh?" she said teasingly, referring to my time under Minato-sama.

I rolled my eyes in response as we move out of the chambers, an easy grin on my face. "Yeah, well, you're going to be one of my advisors," I told her calmly. "Are you really in any position to speak up about big leaps?"

The Inuzuka clan head lead out a bark of laughter in response. "Yeah, I can't really speak up to that, now can I, Hiashi?" she questioned, turning to the Hyuuga Clan head who walked up to join the pair of us.

"I think it is a reasonable choice," Hiashi informed in his usual calm demeanor. "You balance myself out quite well when you compare the two of us."

Tsume snorted in response as I smile at the pair of them. "So, do your brats know about this?" the wild woman questioned.

I shook my head in response. "No, they don't, I told Roshi, but I wanted to surprise the two of them," I informed her with a grin, getting a laugh from her.

"Ah, that blond runt of yours will be shocked at that announcement," Tsume said in amusement as we walked through the halls of the tower. "He did pretty good in the prelims, beating a member of Suna's Puppet Corps isn't an easy thing to do, I remember one in the Second War… eh what was his name again?"

"You mean Sasori of the Red Sand?" Hiashi prompted.

"Ah, yeah, him, vicious bastard he was," Tsume nodded in confirmation. "Thank goodness Tsunade-sama was around to counter his poisons."

I hummed in response as the three of us left the building, civilians giving us a berth as when three high ranked shinobi were walking around with our headbands on meant we were talking business. "First thing I want you to advise me on," I mentioned to them in a low voice. "I am considering recalling her back to active duty in the hospital."

The two of them turned to me with speculative looks at my statement. "It would be good to have her back, even if it's just in the hospital," Tsume said after a moment. "Nothing against your skills but…"

I smirked at her with a small chuckle. "Tsunade is better in the hospital than me, I have freely admitted that from day one," I replied.

Tsume snorted. "Yeah, but you're worth five of her on the battlefield, I've seen your work during the third war," she commented, swatting my shoulder lightly.

"How do you plan on getting her to return?" Hiashi questioned curiously, raising an eyebrow at me.

"By being a shinobi," I replied with a grin. "Hit her low, I will be sending Jiraiya and ask Hiruzen-sama to do one last mission for me if he would be willing."

The two looked at me before Tsume spoke up. "Now that's just _evil_ ," she said with an admiring look. "Her teammate _and_ her sensei? Damn, talk about guilt tripping someone."

"The thing is, Konoha needs all the Shinobi it can get. Having one of our S-Rank Kunoichi wandering Hi no Kuni in a drunken stupor is not only mismanagement of resources, but damaging for our reputation." I said with a sigh. "I can understand why Hokage-sama allowed it, but it does not mean I will permit it. Besides… She still has family here."

"Family...you mean Naruto-san, do you not?" Hiashi cottoned on quickly.

"Yes. Senju and Uzumaki are closely related. It would be good to give Naruto-kun some degree of actual blood-related family." I nodded.

"You really dote on the kid," Tsume noted in a soft voice.

I paused at that statement for a moment before replying. "You know how we Uchiha are," I commented. "We never do things by halves."

That sent Tsume into a fit of laughter. "That you don't," she agreed. "You start off learning some medical jutsu from your mom, next thing you know you're comparable to Tsunade of all people!"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Anything worth learning is worth learning right." I informed her. "Anyway, the finals are a month away. Any guesses on who's going to get promoted?"

"Those brats of yours for one," Tsume said with a roll of her eyes. "All three of them are already standing at a Chunin level, they just need the vests to match."

"Shikamaru and Shino are both viable choices as well, depending on the progress they make this month," Hiashi commented as we moved into a teahouse. "Both are strong tactical planners, but they do need to build up their individual abilities more."

I snorted a bit in response. "What a surprise, a Nara and Aburame are tactical planners," I said humorously before chuckling. "Remember Aika Nara and Doro Aburame?"

The two of them blinked before Tsume laughed. "The two taijutsu specialists!" she giggled out. "Oh I almost forgot about them!"

"Indeed, they certainly went against the curve," Hiashi nodded in agreement, his lips quirking in amusement, their conversation pausing for a moment as the waitress came over and took their orders. "So, who will be training your three?"

I hummed a bit in response. "Well, I know Saya-taicho was looking at Sakura-chan for the Hospital, so I think it wouldn't be too hard," I explained as I tapped my chin a bit. "Plus my mother is more than willing to help her out with some other things. I know Kakashi-san has been interested in teaching Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun for a while now, particularly Sasuke-kun as he can actually inherit the majority of his skills. As for Naruto-kun… there is someone I know who will be teaching him."

My two new advisors looked at me with raised eyebrows, obviously waiting to hear a name as I grinned at them.

Tsume finally let out a sigh of complaint. "You're not going to tell us who it is, are you?" she questioned irritably.

"Mm, not really, I want it to be a surprise," I said with a grin as I sipped the tea that had been brought out. "Anyways, as much as I would love to chat with you two for a while… I have to ensure that his trainer actually does his job before I go for my own training."

The two looked at each other before looking back to me. "Do you need assistance with it?" Hiashi questioned in concern.

I shook my head in response as I finished the last of my tea. "No, I have something arranged for it, so, don't expect to see me around the village very much for this coming month," I informed them as I stood, leaving some Ryo for my own share. "See you two later."

The two gave their own goodbyes as I left the stand and made my way into the village, heading for the hot springs where I knew the person who would be training Naruto would be hanging out around.

Sure enough, as I approached, since I was looking FOR him, I could see the telltale white hair and red haori of the toad sannin in one of the trees that surrounded the hot springs. "Jiraiya-sama, please come down from there," I called up to the sannin in a chilly voice, making the man shudder as he turned to look down at me.

The years certainly have been kind to the remaining loyal sannin, as far as the village was concerned, with him maintaining his relatively youthful good looks without the aid of Orochimaru's body swapping or Tsunade's jutsu - something I suspect to be apart of his status as an actual sage.

"Ah, Yuriko-chan…" Jiraiya-sama said slowly, looking a bit nervous at being caught by me. "You're looking… _lovely_ today…"

I let out a sigh as I shook my head. "Just get down here, Jiraiya-sama, there is something we need to discuss," I informed the sannin with a long-suffering look at him as he chuckled.

I knew I was never going to change his perverted ways, so I wasn't even going to bother with it.

"So, how can I help out the next Hokage?" Jiraiya questioned, waggling his eyebrows at me, well, at least I didn't have to worry about anyone listening in if he was speaking so freely about that. "Need some advice for the bedroom?"

I rolled my eyes at his suggestive comment. "Roshi and I are quite happy in that regard, thank you," I informed him plainly. "No, I'm here to talk to you about something else… Naruto-kun."

Jiraiya-sama paused as he looked at me with narrowed eyes, trying to gauge what I was going to say from my expression. "Is something wrong with him? With the seal?" he questioned in concern.

"No, nothing like that, thankfully, even his training to access the Kyuubi's chakra is going well, no, this is about his participation in the final stage of the chunin exams," I informed him, getting a raised eyebrow. "I want you to be his trainer for the final stage."

"Is that… wise?" Jiraiya-sama questioned. "With how close we _both_ were to Minato… it took a lot just to keep the questions about you raising a blond kid after Minato's passing, hell, some even thought _you_ were his mother of his kid."

I rolled my eyes at that insinuation. "I think we both know that Naruto-kin's heritage was something of an open secret to the world," I countered with a second roll of my eyes. " _Especially_ as he got older."

Jiraiya-sama grimaced at my point. "I take it it's also because of the Akatsuki?" he asked in lower voice.

"Yes," I nodded in confirmation, a grimace on my face. "Kakuzu knew to target him and Sasuke-kun to draw me out… we need him to be able to at the very least be able to escape their clutches on his own."

Jiraiya-sama nodded in agreement. "What kind of training were you thinking of?" he asked, not quite agreeing to do so quite yet.

I shrugged a bit. "Honestly, I think you would know best," I replied, meeting his gaze seriously. "He does fight in a very similar manner to you."

Jiraiya-sama sighed as he rubbed back of his neck for a bit. "Well… the toads have been on my case of finding another summoner for the contract…" he groused a bit as a smile grew on my face.

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama," I told the man gratefully. "I know he'll be in good hands with you."

It was always surprising how adorable a grown man could look when he was blushing in embarrassment.

"You really do take after Kushina sometimes, you know that right?" he groused at me with an embarrassed glare as I laughed in amusement.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Jiraiya-sama," I replied easily. "Where should I tell him to meet you?"

Jiraiya-sama waved me off a bit in response. "I'll come by and pick him up myself tomorrow," he informed me.

I nodded in acceptance. "Thank you," I told him gratefully, patting his shoulder. There was a reason, even after all my years of knowing him, I _still_ referred to Jiraiya with the suffix of 'sama', he had earned it. "As a fair warning, after the chunin exams, I will have a mission for you."

Jiraiya-sama's face became a bit more solemn as he met my gaze. "Tsunade-hime?" he hedged speculatively, gaining a nod from me. "It won't be easy to convince her to return…"

"I'll make sure you have help for the mission," I assured him. "Just be ready for it."

Jiraiya-sama nodded his acceptance as his face broke into a beaming grin. "Hey, this is the great Jiraiya-sama you're talking to!" he announced in a proud voice. "I am _always_ prepared for _any_ situation!"

I laughed in amusement to his boasting. "I shall hold you to that then, Jiraiya-sama," I told him. "If you wish, you are free to join us for breakfast tomorrow, it would be good to spend some time with you again."

Jiraiya-sama chuckled a bit in response. "It would be my pleasure," he replied easily in an over exaggerated manner as he bowed to me like one would to a noble. "I shall meet you in the morning then, fair Lady Uchiha."

I rolled my eyes in response. "Just make sure you're tidy for once," I told him sternly as I began to walk away. "I won't be afraid to break out the hose if you smell like hookers and booze!"

Jiraiya-sama's response was to simply laugh as he began to make his way back up the tree to his peeping spot to resume his preferred pastime.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 81  
 **EXP** : 39,047/70,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 140 (210) **  
LUK -** 45 (65)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254  
 **Stat Points: 10**


	31. Chapter 28: Training Hell Neverending Ze

**Are you sure you are prepared for this? Once it starts, it won't be stopped until the designated time**

I eyed the floating box in front of me, standing at the entrances to the training grounds. It was the morning after the second exam concluded, and I had everything squared away for Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan, and all of my personal matters were put on hold.

"I am sure," I assured my 'friend' as I took in a deep breath, this training was going to essentially be one long gauntlet run, consisting of hordes of enemies coming at me, with every kill I make spawning an additional two enemies, meaning that many of my 'crowd clearing' jutsus would actually be to my detriment as there wouldn't be periods of 'rest' unless I managed to hide myself away from my enemies long enough to rest.

 **If you are sure, I will now transport you to the location… please, do be careful, I do not wish for one so interesting to die so soon.**

I chuckled a bit in response as I relaxed by body, closing my eyes as I felt a brief sense of vertigo. "No worries, I don't plan on dying any time soon," I assured him as I opened my eyes again to find myself in a clearing of a forest consisting of _massive_ trees as hundreds of what looked like White Zetsus began to come out of the foliage.

* * *

 **Quest Alert**

 **Survive in the Zone for 25 days**

 **With every White Zetsu killed two more shall take his place.**

 **Kill too many in a single go and a special enemy shall appear.**

 **Be warned, while the Zetsus are less active at night, it does not mean that there isn't a hunter that isn't active when the sun sets.**

 **Bonus Objective**

 **?**

?

 **?**

 **?**

 **?**

 **Quest Reward**

 **1,000,000 EXP**

 **+500,000 bonus EXP per bonus objective**

 **EXP from Kills will be tallied at the end of the Quest Period**

* * *

My [ **Sharingan** ] sprang to life as I looked around, thankfully, my near perfect control over my chakra, assisted by a couple of perks, reduced the cost of my [ **Sharingan** ] to a minimal amount, allowing me to keep it going indefinitely when one considered my natural chakra regeneration.

I drew out my kodachi as one of the Zetsus came up to attack me, the blade cutting through the plant like flesh of the creation, severing the arm reaching out for me as I began to backpedal away from the approaching group, looking around for any place that could serve as a good place to hide out.p

My goal here was simple; survive and do so without using my wide-area jutsu. I had been getting too much in the habit of simply blasting my enemies into smithereens with A- and S-Rank jutsu. Granted, on the regular enemies, it worked a treat, but against the _real_ powerhouses of the Elemental Nations? Against Orochimaru, the stronger members of Akatsuki and even that bastard a of mine, Madara? No, it would not work.

By fighting against an unending gauntlet of enemies, I would be forced to think both tactically and strategically in order to ensure my survival, whilst at the same time focus on improving my situational awareness. As an Elite Jonin, it was already high enough, but as I was going to be a Kage soon, one of the Five Kage at that, merely very good was not good enough.

I had to be virtually untouchable, throw in the conflict with Akatsuki was was bound to happen in the next few years and I couldn't take things slowly.

I decapitated one of the White Zetsus as it reached out to grab ahold of my long hair as I began to retreat from the battlezone, I couldn't spend the next month fighting in a single spot.

After all, my 'friend' said that he designed it that 'Special' enemies would start appearing if I stayed fighting in a single place for too long.

I don't know what he meant by special, but considering I told him to make this as difficult as he could while being doable, I don't think I want to find out so soon.

The Zetsus chased me for a short while through the trees but they were quickly lost as I put in a bit more effort into my speed.

* * *

I spent some time exploring the area I had found myself in, it seemed to have several types of distinct biomes with a glowing blue field of some kind that kept me from exploring further than the roughly 25×25 kilometer area I was in.

Plenty of room to work with for fighting, evading and setting up some camps for resting. There was even assorted wildlife and flora for me to harvest for food and supplies.

My first focus after scouting the area out was to set up a base camp, which allowed me to flex my fuuinjutsu skills as I set them up around my camp that hid it from view. The seal, ironically named, **[In Plain View]** was something that Jiraiya-sama created based off of his **[Transparency Technique]** that warped the light surrounding the camp to make it look like nothing was actually there. There were also one-way sound dampening seals and scent obscuring seals mixed in there as well.

Something I'd have to be mindful of was that all Zetsu could use Earth Jutsu to some degree or other, so i had to focus on not disturbing the earth as much as possible, to prevent them from sensing me with vibrations in the ground.

I frowned a bit as I looked over my base camp, nothing spectacular, just a fire pit, and a hammock strung up between the trees to help prevent any movement in my sleep disturbing the ground enough to bring the attention of the Zetsu.

Looking up into the sky, I saw the sun hovering above the horizon as the sky started to streak with red. It would be best to capture myself some food before night fell, whatever the 'Hunter' was, I would rather gather some information on it first before trying to engage it, if at all.

* * *

There was one thing I learned rather quickly, the Zetsu… are fucking stupid. I mean, seriously...they make concussed lemmings on acid look smart by comparison. _That's_ how stupid they are.

As an example...well, right here's a good one.

I had set up a small distraction and a spiked pit trap to test how reactive they were, only for a group of ten of them to fall into the trap, one right after the other.

I had no words.

Seriously, it just went to show that it was only their numbers and the surprise of their attack, along with their shapeshifting abilities, that they managed to challenge the Shinobi Alliance at all. Granted, there was that spiral-masked one who could use a form of Wood Style, but he was just about the only one who was a serious threat, out of ten or so _thousand_ Zetsu. And he was only not stupid from hanging around Tobi so much.

So, with that, I started trapping everything using a mixture of wire-traps, pitfalls, fuinjutsu, actually I had even gotten a **[Trapping]** skill from the number of traps that I set up, and it was promptly levelled up nearly a couple dozen times as I continued to set them up. I even reinvented a few I'd seen in cartoons back in my original world.

Thank you, Wile E Coyote, for showing me how _not_ to do traps.

For example, right now I was hidden away from a group of Zetsus as they dangled from the trees, struggling with the wires tightening around their throats as they were starved for air, their comrades not even noticing as the four were dragged up into the air, eight more of the plant men growing from the ground as they died.

I wasn't seriously trying to fight them at this time either, I was mostly getting a hang for their patterns and tics that could be...although with how incredibly stupid they were, I was getting diddly-squat on that front. Seriously, a sign saying 'Free Bird Seed' would draw them like moths to a flame.

I let out a sigh as I moved on, leaving them to wander into their deaths as a notification popped up.

 **A special enemy has appeared to investigate the number of Zetsu that have died!**

I blinked at the notification as I hid in the branches of the trees, a frown flickering across my face as I considered my options.

It would be probably be best to investigate this before moving on, especially since I didn't know _what_ these special enemies were.

Which was an question that was quickly answered as I heard a scream of rage as a man dressed in metallic armor and looked like he was wearing the entirety of a razor factory appeared with a small flash of light. "Where are those turtles!?" a gruff, raspy voice cried out angrily as he looked around wildly, my eyes widening as I finally recognized him.

It looks like my friend summoned the goddamn _Shredder_ to hunt me down.

"All I have to do is kill that bitch and you'll give me the power to defeat those turtles?" the Shredder questioned, looking around at something, most likely talking to my friend about it. "Heh, no problems, I'll wring her neck and rip out her insides!"

Wow, Shredder is angrier than I remembered. Maybe there's been another reboot of TNMT since I died?

I ghosted through the trees as the… samurai? Ronin? Stomped through the forest, looking for me, ignoring the white Zetsus as they shambled along in search of me.

Moving stealthily myself, I was very glad that he probably didn't have any of the green ooze on him that he used in old console games. Fighting someone as skilled as Shredder was bad enough; fighting a giant monster with random abilities from mutagenic ooze was another.

Plus, even _before_ I had died, I hardly knew much about his capabilities, the strongest memories I had of him was the bumbling fool from the really old cartoons, which this one was obviously _not_.

"How long do you plan on hiding from me?" the Shredder growled out as he turned around to face the direction I was hiding in, making my eyes widen a bit. "You are good at it, better than even those turtles that call themselves ninjas, but I am a _master._ "

I let out a small sigh as I leapt down to an exposed branch and remained in a crouched position as I looked at him carefully, keeping my **[Sharingan]** inactive for the time being. "Better than I thought with your entrance," I commented idly, not really feeling a need to keep my usual polite demeanor. "So, out of curiosity, who are you exactly?"

The Shredder growled in response. "I am the master of the Foot Ninja Clan, woman! The Shredder!" he shouted out boastfully. "And you are my prey."

I rolled my eyes in response. "Yuriko Uchiha," I said plainly. "Head of the Uchiha clan, a Kunoichi."

The Shredder stopped his grandstanding to look at me with narrowed eyes as I met his gaze without a flinch. "And honestly… I expected more," I concluded before leaping back into the trees as the Shredder roared in anger.

I took a quick look at his stats as he began to chase after a clone I substituted myself with, hanging back a bit further as my clone led him toward a trapped area of the forest.

 **Oroku Saki [Level 70]  
[The Shredder]  
HP: 25,000  
CP: N/A**

Wait, the Shredder had a _name_? How much did I miss?

Shaking my head, I refocused on the task of taking down _Oroku Saki_ (seriously?).

The man, despite what seems to be an anger management issue, was quite quick and nimble, _especially_ for someone who didn't have chakra to reinforce their limbs and senses, easily keeping pace with my clone as I trailed after him. No chakra meant no flashy jutsu to worry about, but I dimly remembered that there was a branch of ninjutsu on my old world involving gunpowder, so it's possible he had something like that available. Best to be wary on principle.

It seems that the chase managed to cool his head a bit as he began to evade the traps that I had laid out as he began to close in on my clone, enough so that he began hurling shuriken with surprising accuracy, catching my clone off-guard enough for one of the blades to dig into its side, disrupting the chakra shell holding the construct together causing the chakra clone to disperse with a puff of smoke.

The Shredder, because honestly that title is cooler than his name, came to a halt as the clone dispersed, a low growl emanating from his throat as he began to look around cautiously for me. Looks like he was starting to take me seriously.

I kept above him, keeping my form hidden amongst the leaves of the trees that surrounded us, considering my options on how to handle this.

First off, I wouldn't be using any of my 'flashy' ninjutsu as it would defeat the purpose of my training if I started breaking out something like **[Susano'o]** for every threat I faced in here.

I soundlessly drew out my kodachi as I positioned myself, ghosting over The Shredder's head as he looked in the opposite direction. The man was _definitely_ skilled, he moved in a way that made it difficult to get the drop on him, wary of traps, and even positioning himself in places it would be hard to sneak up on him.

There was one weakness to his plan however.

The ninjutsu _I_ used, was _much_ different from the one _he_ used. Even if the principles were the same.

Reaching into my pouch I pulled out five, tri-pronged kunai with seals wrapped around the hilt and took careful aim as I began to channel my **[Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel]** through my kodachi before hurling my kunai at him.

As I expected, he whirled around at the sound of the blades cutting through the air and backhanded through the air with his blade-laden arm, smacking them out of the air with an ease I'm certain most fresh jonin wouldn't be able to show.

And while impressive, it was exactly what I was planning for as I honed in on one of the kunai that was falling behind him and activated the jutsu that made Minato-sama so feared.

For a passenger, the **[Flying Thunder God]** was a rather disorienting experience, being the user of the technique made it much easier on keeping our lunches down.

For me, I was simply focused on the Kunai I wanted to teleport to, and the next moment, I was holding the hilt of the kunai behind the Shredder as my chakra coated kodachi swung around, burying into the neck of the surprised shinobi.

"Sorry about this, but I plan on living," I commented as the Shredder began to grasp at the kodachi buried into his neck before I ripped it free, creating a gouging hole where his throat used to be.

He let out one last strangled gasp before he vanished in the same flash of light he appeared with.

* * *

 **You have Assassinated Oroku Saki!  
Kuro Kabuto and Tekko-Kagi looted and stored in inventory!**

* * *

Letting out a small breath swiping my blade to remove the blood from it, I then sheathed my weapon and leapt back into the trees to retreat. The Zetsu would doubtless come to investigate what had happened here.

* * *

I let out a small sigh as I stared up at the stars in the night sky above me as I relaxed in my hammock, swaying slightly in breeze as I tried to relax from the day.

I was starting to wonder if this was too easy of a challenge for me, after all, I just assassinated a special enemy, rather easily at that too.

I really shouldn't have tempted the Kami with that thought.

The only warning I had was a slight whine before a ball of blue energy was hurtling towards me.

Quickly teleporting myself, I grasped the hilt of a Hiraishin kunai I had set up for just his situation, my **[Sharingan]** activating quickly to scan the area rapidly, looking for my attack only to catch the barest glimpse of a blurred figure as it vanished into the forest.

A _blurred_ figure… when I had my _**[Sharingan]**_ active, I didn't even think that was _possible_.

I followed the direction the blur disappeared off to, planning on finding out who, or _what_ , was attacking my camp, as well as how they managed to _find_ my camp in the first place. It had already been three days since this little trip into the territory of the plant morons had begun and the past two nights, I had been perfectly safe in my camp…

...oh, son of a bitch. Whatever 'The Hunter' was, it obviously had the ability to upgrade its hunting techniques, or it had access to spells/equipment/other things that allowed it to track me down. A being capable of escalating its capabilities, either in tracking, combat or both, until its prey is caught.

Actually...that blur looked _suspiciously familiar_ for some reason, although it isn't ringing any bells as of yet. My past life is somewhat blurry about a few things, although I had learned mediation techniques that sharpened my memory for precisely this sort of thing. Still, in Hot Pursuit of whatever the hell had fired what had looked like a ball of honest-to-god _plasma_ at me was not the opportune time or place to use them.

The fact that this thing threw plasma at me definitely made it something from a Sci-Fi universe though.

The faint sound of air burning was all the warning I had. Throwing myself to one side, I narrowly dodge another bolt of blue plasma. What the hell?! It had evaded my sight, my sight empowered by an ACTIVE **[Sharingan]** at that, whilst simultaneously laying a trail to lead me on and then stealthed around behind me to attack me from the rear!

I whirled around and threw a handful of shuriken in a wide spread before running my hands through a short series of handsigns. " **[Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu]!** "

In an instant, the five shuriken I had thrown multiplied into five- _hundred_. Yes, it was a wide-area jutsu, but the only thing that was going to be damaged was the local foliage...and hopefully the asshole who had just shot at me.

The sight of five-hundred shuriken carving parts of a tree up really had to be seen to be believed. One minute, healthy leaves and branches. The next, the place looked like a slash-happy, crazed lumberjack had gone through the place with a double-ended chainsaw.

As the shuriken hit, I strained my ears to find a trace of something that didn't belong. In the instant that I heard it, the sharp sound of metal on metal, I turned and thrust my sword towards the source. "Kushizashi, EXTEND!"

Silently, my blade shot forwards, the blade extending to impale my target and it seems that my tactic caught the hunter off-guard as my blade stopped in the middle of a rapidly dematerializing blur that resolved itself into the shape of…

A _**PREDATOR!?**_

Oh sweet Kami _why?_

Okay, I _completely_ remember this guy now, basically this dude is the pinnacle of all hunters and wielding a wide array of alien technology, one of which was heat sensors if I remember correctly.

Which also explained how he found me, considering that I had never seen the need to include protection against infrared vision in my campsite sealing array. Damn, this game had just entered 'Hard Mode' alright.

"Kushizashi, retract!" I ordered when I saw the Predator reaching for the blade in its chest. I did _not_ want to see if a Predator's physical strength was enough to snap chakra metal, thank you very much. The green blood staining the first few inches of my weapon was somewhat satisfying to see; I had just gotten first blood on a goddamn _Predator_.

A rumble from the aforementioned apex hunter had me tensing up and going on full alert. From the now-clear memories I had from my past-life, this was a dead-ringer for the Predator that a certain Mr. Universe actor had taken down in the original film. Standing way over the height of even a tall man like Might Guy, the Predator had reptilian scales covering its well-muscled body. A metal loincloth covered its groin, while most of the rest of it was bare of any kind of armour, the only exceptions being the open-toed boots on its feet, the bracers on its arms, a small amount of armour over where the human heart would be and the fucking _plasma gun-turret-thing_ mounted on its left shoulder. Oh, and a full-face helmet, with dreadlock-like hair coming from beneath it, that had dozens of nifty little gadgets crammed into it to make hiding from its wearer a major pain in the rear.

Out of all of that, it was the bracers that gave me pause, as I distinctly remembered that the Predator had a last-ditch 'fuck-you!' suicide bomb in one of them. I think it was the one on the left wrist, but I can't be certain.

Either way, he was a dangerous opponent, especially one that was going to engage me at his own choosing.

We stood there, watching each other for several moments, waiting for the other to drop their guard as a signal for an attack.

So, since he was waiting for the same thing I was, I purposely let my guard drop a bit, prompting him to launch out a ball of plasma at me as I threw myself backwards as a kunai flew out of my hand, aimed for one of the gaps in his armor as the heat from the plasma washed over my head. Dammit, I _like_ my hair! Why is it that it keeps getting melted a bit by this guy?!

I focused on the kunai that I threw and triggered the seals attached to it, prompting my teleportation next to the Predator, only, when I arrived, he was already gone.

Which was surprising, because I only took my eyes off him for a _literal_ heartbeat. Then again, he _had_ seen me dodge his first plasma bolt using the Hiraishin, so he had probably recognised the specific type of kunai that I used as mediums. The Predator was certainly no fool.

I let out a tsking sound as I leapt away from the position I was in, not in a hurry to find out if he left any… _surprises_ for me as I began to silently move through the trees, searching for my opponent.

Which, honestly, was likely to be a long shot, he wasn't a fool, and he would have reactivated his camo tech as soon as he left my sight. And if I was right, chances are, he wasn't going to push his luck on attacking me again tonight, instead, he was probably going to continue to watch me and learn from my patterns.

Which sucked, because I couldn't do the same without being able to find him.

Although…

* * *

 ***KRSH-ZZZAAAAP***

"Sunnova-"

Ow… seal backlashes _hurt_.

I let out a growl as I tried to smooth out my hair from the mess that the backlash made it into as I mentally went over where I went wrong with the seal I was developing.

It was _supposed_ to be an augmentation seal for sight, basically I was trying to charge up the predictive nature of the **[Sharingan]** which was done by reading the subtle cues that the body went through when moving, it was something that _no_ amount of training could overcome, reduced and hidden, but not gotten rid of completely.

I was trying to increase _that_ aspect of the **[Sharingan]** so that I could pick up the movement of the Predator, even when cloaked.

The problem was, however, actually trying to tie the seal to only _one_ aspect of **[Sharingan]** was easier said than done. As an ocular jutsu bloodline, the Copy Wheel Eye was certainly supreme, but its powers, the copying eye and the predictive eye, were very closely interlinked, to the point that trying to apply my seal _solely_ to the predictive eye portion was like trying to separate siamese twins.

"Fucking hell," I grumbled as I placed my sealing papers into a storage seal, putting it to the side for now as I focused on the _other_ issue at hand.

Namely, the black and yellow clothed figure that was flitting through the shadows of the forest, looking for me while I sat in a tree with a transparency seal keeping me from sight.

* * *

 **Hanzo Hasashi  
The Scorpion  
Level 85**

 **HP: 35,000  
CP: -**

* * *

Oh, I remembered _him_ alright. Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. Mr 'Get Over Here' and probably one of the first ninjas seen by western gamers, alongside Ryu Hayabusa.

Shifting my stance so that I was crouching rather than sitting, I watched as the man crept through the forest skillfully, not making a single sound, and honestly, it was only the yellow sections of his armor that I was able to spot him by.

Even then, I did lose track of him a few times as he searched for me. He was actually a _really_ good ninja before he became an undead demon. Go figure.

I leapt to another branch nearby, ghosting through the air without a sound as I circled around him, keeping pace with his, honestly, rather impressive speed, while he wasn't on the level of someone like Gai-san or Lee-kun, the man knew how to move quickly and silently that put even some _jonin_ to shame.

He was even able to minimize his 'tells' to the absolute minimum as he flitted through the forest, ignoring the Zetsus as they ignored him in turn, only taking an interest when they fell for one of the _many_ traps that I had laid out in the forest.

They were brief moments, but I was counting on one of those moments to try and put an end to this before it could go too far.

Speaking of.

 ***CRACKTHOOM***

A minor explosion ripped through the forest we were playing out deadly game of hide and seek as Scorpion turned to look at the source, a trap-based barrier seal that entrapped a certain number of targets within it before exploding.

He located the source, just as I moved above him and dived down for the kill.

One second my kodachi was about to be driven into his neck.

The next, my kodachi was in a tree trunk as the Scorpion's fist travelled to my face at mach speeds.

I let myself drop back as the fist narrowly missed my face while I brought my foot up in an attempt to kick Scorpion in the side of the head, aiming for his temple to either, A, hit it hard enough that he would die, or B, be disoriented from the blow.

Unfortunately, he chose option C.

He blocked my kick.

The two of us quickly separated after that as we stared at one another.

I was honestly feeling a little irritated at this point, that was twice now that my attempted assassination was cut off prematurely by them sensing some part of my attack.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched Scorpion take his stance, my **[Sharingan]** picking up the subtle hints of his Kunai and Chain as he held his right palm open.

Oh-hoh, want to try and catch me off guard with that, huh? Two can play at that game.

I brought my kodachi up next to my face as I aimed at Scorpion, looking like I was about to charge forward with a thrusting attack.

"Get over here!"

"Kushizashi, extend!"

We launched our attacks at the same time, the kunai and chain being launched by Scorpion's throw as my kodachi shot forward like a bullet. A quick application of **[Wind Release: Chakra Flow]** to the blade of my kodachi allowed it to cut through the kunai as it hurdled towards me, the now cut blade falling in two different directions as the wind coated blade stabbed into Scorpion's heart.

His eyes went wide as they looked down at himself, before looking back up at me, before he finally vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

 **You have defeated the Scorpion!**

 **Kunai and Chain looted and stored in Inventory!**

* * *

I let out a relieved sigh as he vanished before leaping back up into the trees.

Good, now I had to start laying out _more_ traps, because the Zetsus were going through them like kids playing with confetti.

Seriously, just _how_ retarded are these things?

* * *

Another flash of light, not even a full 24 hours later, told me that they were _very_ retarded.

My new opponent was a curious one that _definitely_ caught my attention.

An older looking male human with black hair and a mustache and an eyepatch over one eye, wearing a blue uniform. A pair of military sabres hung from his hips looking very...innocuous.

I could recognize him from anywhere considering that he was from one of my personal favorite animes.

Führer King Bradley.

The Human-Homunculus Hybrid of Wrath and the wielder of the Ultimate Eye.

I will be honest, my pride got the better of me as I came out of the shadows to land before him. Calling his eye the 'Ultimate' eye in front of an Uchiha? Quickest way to piss any of us off.

"So… you are the one who I have been asked to kill," Bradley said pleasantly. "I must admit, I did not anticipate such things happening to me, and I somewhat resent being whisked away from my world like some sort of errand boy, but if I slay you, Father's plans will be secured, so I suppose that I can swallow my pride this once. It shall be curious to see if you can match my Ultimate Eye with whatever skill you possess."

I smirk at him as my **[Sharingan]** swirled to life, narrowing my eyes at him. "Pretty arrogant of you, to announce your eye as the Ultimate one," I commented calmly, restraining my own pride enough to not spit vitriol at him. "Perhaps in your world it is, but this isn't your world, now is it?"

Bradley hummed, looking unruffled by my comment as he pulled the sabers from his hip free of their sheaths. "I doubt it," he commented. "After all, you are only human."

I could feel the twitch of irritation on my face at his comment as I kept my polite smile up. Oh boy, was I _eager_ to smack the smug off of this guy.

With deliberate slowness, I drew out my kodachi as I watched him. "You really shouldn't look down on humans," I commented with a twitch of my eye. "After all, not only do they kill _you_ , but they _are_ ultimately the origin of your creation, what with them being the reason your 'Father' even exists."

Bradley froze as he narrowed his visible eye at me, fury simmering beneath his eye as he glared. "Bold words, woman," he growled in a low voice.

I smirked at him. "I suggest you pull off that eyepatch, I actually _want_ a challenge, and not commit euthanasia."

A vein pulsed on his forehead as, with a single delicate flick of one sabre, his eyepatch fell away. "You have better learn, _human_ ," he said before opening his eye fully. "That you should be careful what you wish for...as you may regret _getting it!_ "

I raised my kodachi, intercepting both of his sabers as he lunged at me, holding my ground as he pressed against me. "Don't underestimate me, Homunculus!" I said back as I activated **[Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel]**. "Because I'm liable to _rip your eyes out!_ "

 **King Bradley  
[Wrath the Furious]**

 **HP: 40,000  
CP: -**

I swing my fist forward, Bradley already moving out of the way before my swing was even a quarter of the way through the motion as he pulled back from me, long enough for my fist to pass where my head was before trying to catch me with my balance off center.

And to him it looked like his blow connected, only for my body to be covered in smoke as he sliced through a log.

Not even a full heartbeat later he threw himself forward to avoid the swing of my kodachi as he swung around with his dual sabers, forcing me to pull my kodachi back quickly to block his attacks.

Our exchange lasted several seconds, each of our eyes allowing us to predict the others movements with ease as we intercepted attacks and countered with our own, several hapless Zetsus that approached ended up getting cut to shreds as they came into range of our swinging blades.

"I must admit, for a Homunculus your sword skills are rather impressive," I commented idly as we continued our clash. "It's all the more a pity that you're little more than an enforcer for that jumped-up Dwarf in the Flask who spawned you. Truly, a waste of talent."

Another vein bulged on Bradley's forehead as he picked up the pace, swinging his blades even harder as he attempted to simply overpower me. Unfortunately for him, this had an unintended side effect of making his attacks very much easier to predict, as they lost the grace and fluidity that he possessed when he was calm.

Well, he _was_ Father's Wrath personified, so it made sense he'd have a short fuse.

I held onto a smirk as I deflected his attacks away from me before stepping closer to him, closing the distance between us a bit, reducing the effectiveness of his longer sabers a bit while making it easier to hit him with my kodachi. "Besides, your eye is not as 'Ultimate' as you seem to believe, good at prediction, but tell me, can a glance trap your target in an illusion?"

I smirked as he quickly moved his eyes away from mine instinctively. It was unfortunate, but I wasn't actually _able_ to use genjutsu on him, because he had _no_ chakra to speak of, but that brief moment of lost eye contact was enough for me to make use of my off-hand, that I had been keeping myself from using, to lunge forward and plant itself onto his chest. " **[Chakra Scalpel]** " I announced as the chakra pooling around my hand surged into his body, shredding his internal organs into a fine mulch.

"A shame that your Homunculus side is holding you back so much," I commented as he coughed out blood, his eyes wide in shock. "Humans are much more cautious about getting injured, you should've been a bit more careful."

A flash of light pulled him away before he could reply, not that I was expecting any, as his lungs were just plain _gone_.

* * *

 **You have killed King Bradley!  
[Zetsugan] looted and stored in inventory.**

* * *

I blinked as I looked at the item that I had gotten after killing Bradley. Zetsugan… Ultimate Eye?

Oh… huh.

Opening my inventory, I pressed on the Ouroboros symbol that represented the **[Zetsugan]** and read the item description.

 **[Zetsugan] - A vision-based enhancement that increases one's predictive ability tenfold**

I blinked before re-reading the description before grinning. "Oh yes," I chuckled as I hit the 'apply' option and confirmed it. My eyes swam a bit as I staggered before my vision came back into focus.

And _holy crap_ was _everything_ in focus, every little movement around me, I could predict and I just _knew_ where it was going.

This… was going to take some getting used to.

But for now, I had some planning to do.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 81  
 **EXP** : 39,047/70,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** Equal to the Clan Killer (+50% to all stats, +200 HP & CP per level, Reputation with Konohagakure and Uchiha Clan is set to [ **Exalted** ]) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **12,000 **  
CP -** 38,500  
 **STR -** 100 (175) **  
INT -** 140 (210) **  
DEX -** 160 (280) **  
VIT -** 100 (175) **  
WIS -** 140 (210) **  
LUK -** 45 (65)  
 **Ryo** \- 39,115,254  
 **Stat Points: 10**


	32. Chapter 29: Prelude to War

I kept my breath smooth and easy as I focused on my surroundings, the sun vanishing into the skyline as I kept perfectly still. I was in my final week of my time in the training ground, the Zetsu had been kicked into overdrive with their desire to kill me, and several of the 'special enemies' had actually come close to doing so.

One of the most dangerous had actually been Kai Leng, the Assassin of Cerberus. An experienced soldier, outfitted with Reaper cybernetics and high tech gear, yeah, it was a pain to beat him. He had the ability to go invisible AND summon force fields, not to mention the fact that his sword had been able to cleave through metal with ease thanks to the fact it was a goddamn _monomolecular_ blade. Plus, it could electrify whoever it cut. A sword I now had stashed away in my inventory.

But seriously, he was tough, able to deploy a seriously strong field as he applied medi-gel to the wounds I inflicted on him and cloaked himself to try and get the drop on me. On the upside, I got proof that my enhanced **[Sharingan]** was able to pick up the minute shifting of space that stealth fields made.

But, I was still alive, and now I was about to attempt to _finally_ put an end to the Predator that had been harassing me this entire time! The reptilian bastard had hunted and harassed me for weeks no matter _how_ I modified my camping protection. I was starting to _really_ hate balls of plasma…

Hell, when I camped out underground, he freaking _blew up_ the area I was camping in!

No respect these days.

The sun vanished into the horizon as I waited for the Predator to show himself, my enhanced eyes twitching with every movement in the forest around me before I finally noticed something, space warping around in a peculiar manner.

I reacted immediately, throwing out a brace of kunai and applying a quick **[Kage Kunai]** jutsu to one of the kunai in the brace before triggering a quick teleport to another location, the forest I chose as my hunting ground being covered with Hiraishin kunais at this point.

My eyes were wide as I watched the forest for any sign of movement as my kunai tore through the trees, sounding almost like a heavy rainstorm before teleporting into a new location.

One thing I learned fighting the Predator, _never_ stay in one spot for too long, it made you too predictable. It also didn't help if it came to respect you as prey...it meant that the damned thing didn't underestimate you.

Speaking of.

I leaned back as a ball of plasma passed through the space my head had been before teleporting to another kunai as an explosion rocked my previous position. I quickly began moving by foot as I spotted my own prey's silhouette.

The Predator reacted quickly, drawing out his collapsible staff/spear as I descended upon him with my kodachi. The sounds of metal clashing sang through the trees as I pressed against him with an unrelenting attack only for him to shock me as a mine detonated at my feet.

A cloud of smoke and debris clouded the Predator's vision as the mine went off, the alien taking some splash damage himself, even as he threw himself back, only to be immediately beset upon as I came hurtling out of the forest, flanked by another two 'mes'.

His shock was visible as three of my shadow clones clashed with him, even from my position, hidden in a tree, a cloak lined with temperature regulating seals and a number of other ones that would hide me from his vision as I continually attacked him with my shadow clones, waiting for him to be moved into position.

And honestly, the shadow clones were awesome, but _seriously_ impractical unless you were both an Uzumaki _and_ a Jinchuriki. It cut my chakra in _half_ every time I used it, so making the _seven_ clones I did dropped me to only _hundreds_ of chakra points remaining, out of my _tens of thousands_.

Seriously, only reason Naruto-kun was able to make as many as he could, was because of the frankly, _insane_ amount of base chakra he had, and the _ridiculous_ regenerationrate the Kyuubi granted to him.

Even Roshi and Han admitted they wouldn't be able to spam the jutsu like Naruto-kun was able to.

But, it would be worth it, because _somehow_ , the Predator figured out how to track chakra, and with mine being so low, and my control suppressing it even further, it basically made it look like I had _no_ chakra within me.

Letting out another small breath I restrained myself from making any moves as the Predator got even closer, another one of my clones vanishing as he managed to get through its guard, only for it to be replaced by another clone as they pushed it into position.

I held my breath, each one of my muscles tensing as he got closer, before finally, the tension snapped as I launched forward, not making a single sound as he focused solely on the clones in front of him.

Right before my sword slide into his chest and some of my remaining chakra detonated within him as a sort of 'Scalpel Bomb', choosing to ruin _every_ organ, rather than surgically choosing specific ones.

A wet gurgling sound came from the Predators throat before it twitched it's arm to bring it around, only for a clone to step forward, cutting it off smoothly seconds before the Predator vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

 **You have assassinated the Prefect Hunter, the Predator!  
Looted and stored the Hunter's Mask in your inventory!**

* * *

I blinked in response as I stared at the alert box before letting out a happy sigh as I dismissed my remaining clones. "Thank kami _that_ is done with," I groaned out as I moved into the forest towards my camp, letting out a long, tired yawn. "I need to sleep, been planning _that_ out since his last attack on my camp…"

Shaking my head, I leapt up into the hammock I had set up and closed my eyes, allowing myself to slip into a light doze.

* * *

 **A Special Enemy has arrived to investigate the death of a number of Zetsu!**

* * *

I carefully eyed the pop-up in front of me warily, I only had five hours remaining before the end of my time here in the training zone, so, something told me to be careful for who the enemy is.

So I began searching, keeping myself carefully hidden as I moved through the zones, feeling a strange tension as I tried to locate my target, only to find nothing.

A frown flickered on my face as I crouched on a tree branch, it was strange, but, whomever my friend summoned here, was a master at stealth, equalling even me as I was unable to locate him.

Which was troublesome because that meant I wouldn't be sure that he could see me.

I was jerked out of my contemplation as a strange scent filled the air before my eyes widened as I flooded my lungs with healing chakra, purging the poison that was starting to fill them as I leapt away.

A crack echoed as a part of the branch exploded from an impact of a bullet.

I quickly tracked where the shot came from and teleported using one of the many kunai I had scattered through the forest.

Well, that's troubling, someone had got the drop on _me_ for once. Been a while since that's happened.

So poison and some type of rifle, not a lot to go on, but a start.

I began ghosting my way through the forest with a frown on my face, if he was able to find me, then I guess I would just have to give him something else to look for.

Triggering another teleportation I formed a single shadow clone before the two of us teleported again, the two of 'us' repeating the process, leaving each of 'me' with a quarter of my total chakra and, hopefully, confusing my opponent trying to figure out who the real 'me' was.

A scarce minute or so after I teleported away, I jerked in surprise as two of my clones were destroyed; one by some kind of explosive, while the other one was beheaded from behind. Who the hell was _doing_ this?!

A snarl almost escaped my throat as me and my final clone leapt from our perches and vanished into the ground. I was _not_ used to being outclassed anymore, even if I was sure I could crush whoever it was in seconds if I went all out, my own pride refused to allow me to break my self imposed rules.

Okay, Yuriko, _calm down_ , getting angry won't help anything.

I let out a calming breath as I moved through the ground, my clone moving in the opposite direction as I began to call on the more tactical part of my mind.

Whoever was attacking me was a master of stealth, assassination and traps, so basically I should treat this like I was fighting myself.

So, if the situation was reversed, what would _I_ do?

I would turn my opponents actions against them, like he was doing already.

Okay, so what would be the best way to break the pattern?

By not playing the same game as my opponent.

But that would mean breaking my own rules.

Is it worth letting yourself get killed?

Well… _that_ puts things into perspective.

Coming to my decision I sent my clone up to the surface where it had one goal, cause as much chaos as it possible could before it was dispelled, either from a lack of chakra, or by being 'killed'.

And oh boy, did it ever, starting off with a **[Fire Release: Heaven Quenching Flames]** that set nearly the entire forest on fire with the Zetsu dropping like flies, only to spawn back into the flames, and die again.

After that, my clone was forming another set of seals when it was killed, only this time, 'I' was able to see my opponent as he killed my clone, an older looking man - from how he moved he seemed like that anyways - with an orange and black mask and similar coloured armour.

Only one person matched that description. Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator.

Hm, no _wonder_ he was able to get the drop on me so often.

Also, the forest is a no go; without my clone to control the flow of chakra, the firestorm it had started was running rampant.

So, that left one of the other biomes to fight Slade in.

After a moment's consideration I ended up choosing the grasslands, and pulled myself out of the ground and dusted myself off, waiting for my opponent to show themselves as the fire raged in the background.

I tilted my head with a smirk as a bullet brushed past me as I began to move a bit, my enhanced eyes seeing each and every bullet being fired by the modified rifle hidden in Slade's staff. I formed a single seal with my hand and inhaled. " **[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Song]**!" I intoned before spitting out a dragon shaped flame that swept through the area that Slade was taking his shots from, my eyes catching his movements.

I cut him off from hiding from me again as I slashed at him, the supervillain catching my sword with his staff and spun it to try and knock me off balance.

I simply chose to let go of my sword as I inhaled again and let out a **[Fire Release: Great Fireball]** directly into his face as I leapt away from him, my **Sharingan** morphing as I triggered **[Kamiyonanayo]** and **[Ame-no-Ukihashi]** to surround him with several more fireballs converging on his position.

A scream of pain echoed through the plains as the surrounding ground caught fire from my attacks as I formed a set of seals that I completed as he came charging out of the flames, the cloth parts of his armor having burned away, showing his slowly healing skin.

" **[Earth Release: Crushing the Heavens]** " I announced in a cold voice as the earth began to rumble beneath us before the ground began to tear and rise into the air, dragging the mercenary assassin with it as he was clipped by several of the larger chunks. I smirked as he and chunks of rock and earth reached at least 500 feet into the air before I raised one of my hands, and then chopped it down, prompting the chunks to start propelling themselves towards the ground at near terminal velocity, dragging Slade with them.

I quickly formed the ribcage of my **[Susano'o]** to protect me from the sudden rocking of the earth as I essentially dropped several meteorites into the ground around me. Even as the clouds of dust and debris covered my vision I held and out as I began to channel chakra, forming a **[Rasengan]** before morphing it into my **[Rasenken]** , waiting for the debris to dissipate, or my opponent to show themselves.

"This… I wasn't… briefed… about…" a gasping, rasping voice called out as the dust began to settle. "The… client… didn't… say anything… about elemental control…"

I smirked a bit. "Because, I decided to break my rules, just for _you_ , Slade," I announced as my **[Susano'o]** receded, trying to conserve my remaining chakra before turning to face him, wincing a bit, honestly, the man was a mess, missing an arm, large gashes that were struggling to close, his mask shattered as the man glared at me. "But really, I should commend you. It's not often that I find somebody superior to me in something, so, honestly, good work. You really are the best assassin I have encountered, period."

Slade grunted as he slowly dragged himself to his feet, struggling to pull out his sword from his back as he pointed it at me. "I _will_ complete my job…" he panted heavily as he coughed up blood.

I chuckled a bit in response as I held out my **[Rasenken]**. "That is a good work ethic to have," I said to him honestly. "Really, a shame I have to kill you here, I would have loved to have you in my village," that wasn't even a lie, if Slade had been able to get the drop on _me_ , then he would have been able to do so much in my world. "But, alas, that isn't in the cards, sorry about that."

I launched myself forward, Slade letting out a defiant roar as I closed in on him, before trying to slash out at me, only for me to sidestep the clumsy, off center swing before ramming the **[Rasenken]** into his chest, the man letting out a choked scream of pain before vanish in a flash of light, seconds before everything for me flashed out of existence.

* * *

 **You have killed Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator!  
Modified Ballistic Staff looted and stored in inventory.**

 **Quest Complete!**

 **Survived in the Zone for 25 days**

 **Bonus Objective**

 **Assassinated 25 Special Enemies - Completed**

 **Killed 10,000 White Zetsus - Completed**

 **Assassinated the Hunter - Completed**

 **Killed 1,000 White Zetsus with Traps - Completed**

 **Remain Undetected for the entire quest - Incomplete**

 **Quest Reward**

 **1,000,000 EXP**

 **+500,000 bonus EXP per bonus objective**

 **2,000,000 EXP gained!**

 **EXP from Kills will now be tallied**

…

…

…

 **Tally Complete!**

 **2,500,000 Experience points gained from kills!**

 **You have leveled up 21 times!  
115 Skill points to spend!**

* * *

 **You have broken past level 100! Title [God of Shinobi] has been earned!**

 **[God of Shinobi] - You are considered to be untouchable by the average Shinobi, you are what they aspire to be. +100% Reputation with all allied Shinobi +10% Damage with all ninja arts. Perk [Aura of Absolute Command] gained!**

 **[Aura of Absolute Command] - Your status of being a God of Shinobi gives weight to your words, when allies are fighting nearby they are inspired by your presence. When enemies fight nearby, they will be frightened by your presence.**

* * *

Naruto frowned as he looked down at the sealing array his sensei was showing him. Training under Jiraiya was an interesting experience for the young teen who was used to the strict no-nonsense training of Yuriko, or the absolute limit-pushing extremism of Kakashi. Compared to those types of training, Jiraiya's laid back, relaxed approach to training really threw him off.

Not that he didn't appreciate the ability to relax between his grueling training periods as he prepared himself for the finals of the chunin exam. But, that didn't mean that Jiraiya's training wasn't challenging in its own way.

Between trying to get his new Toad summons approval - which he had after remaining on the boss' back for nearly a full day as it did its best to knock him off. Then after that, it was a process of trying to work the toads into his fighting style and finding the best toads he worked with to make them his familiars, who turned out to be the two sons of the current boss summon, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu.

All the while Jiraiya had him working on his understanding of the sealing arts and their application in battle outside of explosive notes and barriers. In fact, that was a lesson Naruto learned the hard way after Jiraiya thoroughly trounced him using _only_ fuinjutsu in a spar.

So, Naruto set to work learning more about the art beyond what his sister had taught him. Which really wasn't anything against her mastery of it, according to Jiraiya, the two of them just took different approaches to its applications in battle.

"If I wanted to break this seal, then I would start _here_ ," Naruto informed as he pointed out a section of the seal. "It's the weakest point that leads to the core of the array."

Jiraiya nodded as he pulled it back. "Exactly," he said approvingly before looking up into the sky. "Right, looks like it's getting to that time," he announced after a moment, dusting himself off as he stood up. "I think your sister should be getting back home today too, is that right?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to show her how much stronger I've gotten!" Naruto announced cheerfully as he climbed to his feet, a broad smile on his face as he stretched out.

"Well, make sure you keep some surprises for the chunin exams," Jiraiya advised with a smile. "Remember, a good shinobi always keeps an ace or two up their sleeves."

"Right!" Naruto replied, throwing the sannin a salute before he began to run home. "Later! Ero-sennin!"

He chuckled a bit as he caught the groan of the older man in the background before focusing his attention to the path before him as he made his way home.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out in greeting as the Uchiha landed next to him and matched pace. "How was training?"

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto greeted in return, high-fiving his brother in response. "It went pretty good, actually, just putting the finishing touches on some things. You?"

"Bout the same," Sasuke said, the two of them sharing a grin at their unsubtle attempts of getting info on the other's training. "So, nee-san should be back today, right?"

"Yeah, wonder how much stronger she'd gotten?" Naruto mused in contemplation. Honestly, she was already pretty strong in his opinion, and she seemed pretty content with her level of strength. "Wonder why she felt the need to take some time off to do some training, I mean, it takes Roshi-nii and Han-san teaming up to get her to take a break just to relax."

Sasuke shrugged a bit as he eyed a group of chunin who seemed to be just hanging around. "I think something is happening," he murmured quietly. "A lot more shinobi have been on the streets as of late, and in key positions while looking like their just hanging out."

Naruto nodded, his fingers twitching in a signal. 'Preparation for an attack?'

Sasuke shrugged in response. "Anyways, let's get home," he grunted out. "I'm _starving_ , Kakashi-sensei had be working on endurance training, which meant he had me skipping lunch to work on managing my caloric output."

Naruto winced, in sympathy, with the Kyuubi inside of him supercharging his natural healing factor to the point of near regeneration, the amount of calories he went through in a day was crazy, enough so that he had specially made, high calorie energy bars in his equipment pouch, just to be on the safe side.

"That sucks," Naruto sympathised as they approached the apartment building and wall ran up to the top floor balcony.

A familiar face greeted them as soon as they returned. "Nee-san!" Naruto shouted exuberantly as she leapt at his sister in a flying hug that she easily caught with a small laugh.

"Hello to you too, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun," Yuriko greeted the pair warmly. "You two have definitely grown."

The pair preened under her praised as Sasuke accepted his own hug with his sister. "Now, both of you, go and get ready for dinner," she informed the two of them with a smile. "We can catch up as we eat."

"Okay!" the two of them chorused cheerfully, happy that their sister-figure was back in Konoha.

* * *

I let out a small sigh as I looked through my stats and checked the number of stat points I had available, reclining in bed, leaning against Roshi as he read a scroll that had been leant to him by Jiraiya.

With over a hundred stat points available to me, I definitely had my choices on what to increase

I decided to try and keep my balance, somewhat, with adding 40 points to my dexterity, 20 points to both my intelligence and wisdom, 15 points to strength and vitality and the last five points into my luck stat, which I still hadn't quite figured out.

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 102  
 **EXP** : 4,021/650,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** God of Shinobi (+50% to all stats +100% Reputation with all allied Shinobi +10% Damage with all ninja arts. Skill [Aura of Absolute Command] active) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **20,025 **  
CP -** 95,800  
 **STR -** 115 (201) **  
INT -** 160 (240) **  
DEX -** 200 (350) **  
VIT -** 115 (201) **  
WIS -** 160 (240) **  
LUK -** 50 (75)  
 **Ryo** \- 342,761,998

* * *

 **For reaching 200 DEX, you have unlocked a new perk!  
[Godlike Reflexes] - your base Speed, Evasiveness and accuracy increased by 100%. In addition, your mental processing of what you see is increased by 100%**

* * *

I blinked at the screen in front of me before letting out a sigh and closing both of them as I lent into Roshi a bit more. "Mm, it's good to have a real bed again," I murmured quietly as I allowed myself to relax.

Roshi chuckled in amusement next to me. "I know how that feels," he agreed in amusement as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. " _Especially_ since I started living with you, rich people get the best of beds."

I giggled a bit in amusement. "Mm, it's why we became rich, so we can have good beds," I joked lightly, Roshi joining my laughter. "Mm, Roshi.".

"Mm?" Roshi replied with a questioning hum.

"I love you," I mumbled out as I felt my eyes droop tiredly now that I was actually able to completely relax.

"I love you too," Roshi told me, his voice sounding a bit distant for some reason. "Have a good sleep, Yuriko."

I tried to respond only for incomprehensible mumbled to come out as I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

I felt _really_ relaxed as I moved through the streets of Konoha, heading towards the Hokage's Tower for my debriefing with Hiruzen-sama. A full night's of complete rest without having to be on the lookout for any threats re-energizing me completely.

I never really realised just how good I felt after a good night's sleep until I had to keep an eye out for an overly aggressive asshole of a super hunter all night. For a month. Never again.

I waved a few times to people who called out to me in greeting before entering the Tower and headed up to Hiruzen's office, who's door was open.

"Jonin Yuriko Uchiha, reporting in after training leave, Hokage-sama," I reported in respectfully as Hiruzen looked me over carefully, his eyes widening a bit.

"My… it certainly has been productive, hasn't it?" he questioned, smiling at me proudly. "You… the way you hold yourself… it reminds me of the Shodai…"

I blinked in surprise at his words, my head tilting a but as I studied him.

"I believe, you have reached the same level of power as Hashirama-sama and I, although, my strength certainly has waned in the last few years," he told me. "I know that people will be calling you the fourth God of Shinobi."

My back stiffened in response as I took that in. While I certainly had the title now, for the _public_ to call me that, would be another matter altogether.

Letting out a breath, I relaxed myself before smiling a bit at the Hokage. "Well, I'm not one to do things by half," I said with a slight smirk. "Although, I am never going to do that kind of training again if I can help it; I almost died half a dozen times!"

Hiruzen-sama chuckled a bit in amusement as he gestured for me to sit at the chair next to his side of the desk. "I know the feeling of that," he commented as I sat down. "I remember my days of training, they were intense and just as dangerous."

Somehow, I doubted he had to fight the likes of Kai Leng, the Shredder and Deathstroke, let alone the Predator, as mere training. "I'm just glad it's done with," I admitted. "How have things been in the village?"

"Quiet, mostly, Onoki and Terumi-san will be arriving tomorrow with their retinues," he explained calmly as he lit up his pipe. "The Kazekage will be arriving the day after. There have been some movements outside of our walls, Orochimaru thinks his people are subtle, but they're not."

I nodded in understanding as I considered the situation. "I am ready to deal with them whenever you deem it time," I told him, getting a smile and nod in response.

"I know you will be, but, it would be best for us to strike when they are at their most confident," he informed knowingly. "Break them when they feel strongest, and scatter them as they recoil in fear."

"It will be done," I assured with a smile.

"I know," he replied. "Now, you mind giving me a hand? I would like this pile cleared before the other kages arrive."

I smiled as I moved closer to his desk and started helping him with his paperwork.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 102  
 **EXP** : 4,021/650,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Uchiha Clan head (+50% to all reputation gains, command of the Uchiha Clan)  
 **Secondary Title:** God of Shinobi (+50% to all stats +100% Reputation with all allied Shinobi +10% Damage with all ninja arts. Skill [Aura of Absolute Command] active) **  
STATS - Current  
HP - **20,025 **  
CP -** 95,800  
 **STR -** 115 (201) **  
INT -** 160 (240) **  
DEX -** 200 (350) **  
VIT -** 115 (201) **  
WIS -** 160 (240) **  
LUK -** 50 (75)  
 **Ryo** \- 342,761,998

* * *

 **New Perks**

 **[Aura of Absolute Command] - Your status of being a God of Shinobi gives weight to your words, when allies are fighting nearby they are inspired by your presence. When enemies fight nearby, they will be frightened by your presence.**

 **[Godlike Reflexes] - your base Speed, Evasiveness and accuracy increased by 100%. In addition, your mental processing of what you see is increased by 100%**


	33. Hinata Interlude

If one were to ask Hinata Hyuuga what she felt like the turning point of her life would be, she would have a very quick answer; the day Yuriko Uchiha saved her from her kidnappers.

Ever since that day, her life had been turned onto its head with Yuriko being insistent that she became friends with her wards, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, and really, she couldn't complain about that, as she was pretty certain Yuriko knew about her crush on Naruto, what with how often the Clan head pushed the two of them into situations together.

Still, the young Hyuuga Heiress couldn't find it in herself to complain about that, considering it allowed her to get closer with her crush, plus the amount of training that Yuriko had given her had heaped confidence upon her.

After all, one didn't tell Yuriko that they ' _couldn't_ ' do something unless they had a _really_ good reason for it. So, when Yuriko told her to put in her best effort, she did, and with each success she had, her confidence grew, and as her confidence grew, she had more successes, creating a cycle of growth for the young woman.

So, it was quite understandable that when she won her bout in the prelims that she was excited for the upcoming final exam.

Right up until the Hokage dropped the surprising news, there was going to be a _second_ prelim round to reduce the numbers further, until only _ten_ of them remained, and unfortunately, it didn't look like luck smiled down upon her, as her name immediately came up.

Pitting her against _Gaara_.

After seeing what he had done (and _almost_ done) to her cousin Neji's teammate, she had no hesitation against immediately conceding the match. Confident in her skills she may have been, but Hinata knew when she was outmatched and Gaara was beyond her ability to defeat without both ambushing and killing him. Even then, the Hyuga Heiress was not confident that she would succeed in dealing a blow to him before being trapped by his sand.

Even her father wasn't disappointed with her choice in conceding the match; rather, he had quietly praised her for her sound judgement in assessing a foe. One requirement of a chunin was to be able to properly assess a situation and judge its viability, after all. While the first round had been of the trust between teammates as well as information gathering, and the second a trial of their practical teamwork, ninja skills and their ability not to mess with mission-specific items, the matchups in the Third Round Preliminaries were a subtle test of the genins' ability to measure up their opponent and deliberate the likelihood of victory over defeat.

Apparently, Hokage-sama had made note of her decision and she was almost guaranteed to be promoted in the next chunin exam if she did as well as she had in this one! Yuriko-sama...no, _-san_ , dammit, had agreed with him as well.

But, she wasn't going to let her disappointment in her recent failure to keep her down, especially since Naruto-kun kept pushing her forward with his encouragement, and he had even roped her into helping with his training, considering his first opponent was her cousin. But he wasn't asking for what skills he had, or what jutsu he used, he merely wanted more experience with fighting a Hyuuga.

There was also something the two of them figured out rather quickly; Naruto was able to reopen his _tenketsu_ by channelling a bit of the Kyuubi's chakra through his coils.

Although the Bijuu was apparently annoyed with being used in such a way, Naruto was able to work out some kind of agreement with the Kyuubi to get its help for the Chunin exams, something about beating Sasuke into the dirt.

Hinata personally found it amazing he was able to convince the cankerous Bijuu to _actually_ do something, considering that everything she heard from Naruto was how stingy the Kyuubi was with its chakra.

All of which, led to today, the final day of the chunin exams. And it certainly felt like it, the air will charged with an unfamiliar energy to the young Hyuuga, with her noticing her father and several other shinobi sitting nearby looking rather tense as the looked down at the arena below the seating where the chunin hopefuls were gathering.

Before them, standing tall and proud was Yuriko, a woman than many kunoichi admired and strove to be like, Hinata included. She was scanning the crowd, judging the number of people before turning her attention to the Kage box where the Hokage sat with the Kazekage.

Hinata could see the Uchiha nod to some unseen signal sent to her before turning back to the crowd.

Then she spoke.

For Hinata, she had long since understood a natural law about Yuriko Uchiha from growing up with her around near constantly. When she spoke, you listened, and now, it felt like reality itself understood that lesson as the crowd grew almost eerily silent.

"Congratulations to you ten," she announced in an even tone as she addressed the assembled genin before her. "With the aid of your teammates you have made it past the first two trials, and now you must prove your ability as an individual before all who have gathered here today."

Most of the genin shifted nervously as they looked around at the crowd that now had their full attention on them. Hinata's heart sped up as she saw Naruto-kun smirking confidently as usual though. It was something that never failed to make her admire him; he never let anything get him down for long, not even this kind of situation.

"However, this is not just a test of your poweress in combat," Yuriko continued. "This is also a test of your ability to adapt, the opponent you may think you are facing may change, you will not get a chance to recover as much stamina as you would like, making you have to fight tactically to ensure that you have enough strength for the following fights."

Her eyes swept over the genin with a hard look. "I hope the ten of you truly do understand this," she commented dryly. "Now then, Naruto Uzumaki, Neji Hyuuga, remain, the rest of you go up to the competitors box, we shall begin shortly."

Hinata swallowed as she saw Naruto exchange brief words with his teammates before turning to face Neji who was getting himself focused for the fight.

It was time to see, just how much Naruto's training paid off.

* * *

 **END INTERLUDE**

* * *

 **CHARACTER STATS**

* * *

 **Name:** Sarutobi Hiruzen  
 **Level:** 95  
 **Age:** 69  
 **Primary Title:** Sandaime Hokage **  
Secondary Title:** Third God of Shinobi **  
STATS  
HP - **15,625 **  
CP -** 139,650 (50,000 available)  
 **STR -** 125 **  
INT -** 350 **  
DEX -** 175 **  
VIT -** 125 **  
WIS -** 399 **  
LUK -** 100

 **Perks  
[Frailty of Age] - **Not many shinobi live to old age for a reason; as your body gets older, it will physically grow weaker with each passing year. STR Stat will dwindle with each year you gain and your Chakra reserves will be reduced.  
 **[Wisdom of Experience]** \- Your age has given you experience that few can match, and with that experience comes wisdom and intelligence, leaving those as the only thing you can rely on as your body begins to fail. Your INT and WIS Stats increases are doubled.  
 **[Aura of Absolute Command] -** Your status of being a God of Shinobi gives weight to your words, when allies are fighting nearby they are inspired by your presence. When enemies fight nearby, they will be frightened by your presence.

 **Name:** Jiraiya **  
Level:** 93 **  
Age:** 51 **  
Title:** Legendary Sannin  
 **Secondary Title:** Toad Sage **  
STATS  
HP - **55,750 **  
CP -** 36,400  
 **STR -** 223 **  
INT -** 182 **  
DEX -** 130 **  
VIT -** 250 **  
WIS -** 200 **  
LUK -** 87

 **Perks  
[Toad Summoner]** \- Access to Sage Mode technique and offshorts, can summon toads to aid you  
 **[Super Pervert]** \- You are the gold standard to perverts everywhere, they bow to your name and worship your books.  
 **[Spymaster]** \- Hands down, considered to be one of the greatest spymasters in the shinobi world, simply because, no one believes that you really are the Spymaster of Konoha

 **Name:** Roshi **  
Level:** 85 **  
Age:** 32 **  
Title:** Jinchuriki of the Yonbi (+2 VIT per Level, +400% CP)  
 **Secondary Title:** - **  
STATS  
HP - **32,340 **  
CP -** 61,992  
 **STR -** 147 **  
INT -** 126 **  
DEX -** 197 **  
VIT -** 220 **  
WIS -** 123 **  
LUK -** 52

 **Perks  
[Jinchuriki] **\- You had the misfortune of having a Chakra beast sealed within you from a young age, while you may be hated and feared by some, this does not come without some benefits. +200% CP Regeneration, Regenerate 10 HP per second while channelling your Bijuu's Chakra. Chakra cloak techniques available  
 **[Boiling Earth]** \- You can melt the very earth and create volcanoes, should you so desire, let's hope you don't! Access to Lava Release Techniques.  
 **[Sage Training]** \- Through some means you have been trained in the use of Nature Chakra and are able to bring the might of Nature forth in your own body. Access to Sage Techniques

 **Name:** Han **  
Level:** 83 **  
Age:** 37 **  
Title:** Jinchuriki of the Gobi (+2 Vit per Level, +500% CP)  
 **Secondary Title:** - **  
STATS  
HP - **42,364 **  
CP -** 119,680  
 **STR -** 178 **  
INT -** 136 **  
DEX -** 150 **  
VIT -** 238 **  
WIS -** 176 **  
LUK -** 67

 **Perks  
[Jinchuriki] **\- You had the misfortune of having a Chakra beast sealed within you from a young age, while you may be hated and feared by some, this does not come without some benefits. +200 CP Regeneration, Regenerate 10 HP per second while channelling your Bijuu's Chakra. Chakra cloak techniques available  
 **[Steam Explosion]** \- You can cover your enemies in steam and boil them alive, really, if you think about it that is just plain scary. Access to Steam Release.  
 **[Taijutsu Expert]** \- You devoted yourself to hitting this as hard as you can, and now you break bones as easily as you would break boards. +50% Damage with Taijutsu techniques.


	34. Chapter 30: Invasion of Konoha

**Author's Note: Hey Guys, just wanted to give you a quick explanation on the sporadic updates of Ninja Gamer as of late, when I first released this fic, I was unemployed, and as such, had a** _ **lot**_ **of time to devote to working on and releasing chapters on a weekly (and daily on rare occasions) basis.**

 **When I** _ **did**_ **get a job, the progress slow down a bit, but I was still able to devote plenty of time to it, but recently, due to the holiday season, absent coworkers and a few bouts of depression, I have had my working hours nearly double at work and as such had** _ **very**_ **little time or energy to focus on writing.**

 **There is good news, however, with the new year, I will be returning to my regular hours, as such I should be able to release a new chapter a bit more regularly than before, I won't make any promises like one a week, but hey, if it happens, it happens.**

 **Thanks for your patience and understanding, and all of your support, seriously, I never expected to have…**

…

…

 **Over 4k follows and favorites…**

 **Okay, I know that's a kinda small number compared to some fics on this site, but… compared to my other fics, it blows them out of the water.**

 **Seriously, thank you guys, all the support you have given me has really helped me out in 2018, I hope 2019 blesses you all with good fortune.**

 **Now, enough of that sappy shit, let's see how Yuriko can fuck up the Naruto Timeline this chapter.**

 **DragonKnightRyu**

 **P.S.: Seriously, thank you all, and thank you Seerking, if you haven't, check his stuff out, it's awesome sauce in a can and he is more consistent with releasing stuff than me.**

* * *

I struggled to keep my face perfectly neutral as I watched Naruto-kun engage Neji in combat, keeping a careful distance away from the pair as Naruto sent a dozen shadow clones to engage the Hyuuga. Despite my prodding of them, the pair refused to tell me what they learned in their training nor what their plans were for fighting their opponents, wanting all of it to be a surprise for me.

But I did have _some_ idea, but when a butterfly flaps its wings and all that.

I briefly turned my attention up to the Kage's box where Hiruzen-sama sat with the other kages, including Orochimaru disguised as the Kazekage. Hopefully the Tsuchikage and Mizukage would be willing to help Hiruzen-sama out when the time came, but either way, we were prepared for when Orochimaru made his move.

I brought my attention back to the fight when Naruto let out a curse as Neji broke through the screen of shadow clones to charge Naruto himself and actually scoring a blow, a triumphant look on his face, one that quickly dissolved into confusion as 'Naruto' exploded into smoke.

His surprise was short lived as he rolled to the side to avoid a displacement of the wind that shot out from the clones he broke past earlier, each of the clones sharing a grin as they brought up their hands into a familiar cross shaped seal.

I smirked a bit as I realised Naruto's strategy, if he kept dividing his chakra evenly amongst his clones, than it would fool Neji's Byakugan that relied mostly on scanning chakra to pick out illusions and clones, making the shadow clone, when used right, a counter for that vision.

Basically Naruto was playing a shell game with Neji, and with how quickly he could recharge his chakra, there wasn't as much of a drawback if someone such as myself used it.

And Neji was falling for it hook, line and sinker.

I almost missed it completely, but, Naruto actually slipped away in the smoke created from the creation of the shadow clones and started using a underground movement technique to get out of visual sight and outside of the range of Neji's Byakugan.

I wasn't quite sure what his plan was, however, as Neji would be able to see him approach from below with the help of his Byakugan. Although the Byakugan did only 'see' a dome around the user, not a perfect sphere as most imagined. If Naruto-kun knew about _that_...

It would be interesting seeing how this turned out as Naruto-kun had a rather strong tactical streak in him when the mood struck him. This was evident not only in this timeline, but in the original one too; who else would think of modifying a joke of a technique like the [ **Konoha Secret Finger Jutsu: Thousand Years of Death** ] and using it against a half-transformed Gaara so successfully?

And after working with both his father and mother, I knew _exactly_ who he got it from. After all, as much as I respected him, Minato-sama could be as dense as a sack of bricks when it came to tactical planning, although his improvisational skills were pretty high up there.

My attention was pulled away from my musings as Neji destroyed the final clone and was looking around in confusion for Naruto-kun, who apparently had been waiting for this very moment as the ground literally _exploded_ beneath Neji, throwing the Hyuuga into the air while a blur of blond hair leapt up after him.

I blinked in realization of his plan; the Hyuuga Jyuken seemed to take several cues from Baguazhang, a chinese martial art. And both had a reliance for firm footing to bring out the full force of their strikes.

It seemed Naruto-kun's plan was to deprive Neji of the stability of the ground and reduce his effectiveness and ability to move or dodge. It was a good plan and well-executed. The Byakugan was not good at seeing 'down', making attacks from there an excellent way to bypass the All-Seeing Eyes of the Hyuga Clan. It wouldn't work on Hinata-chan, because of how well she knew the way Naruto-kun's mind worked, and it wouldn't work against Neji either, because, credit given where credit was due, he was a true genius when it came to the Gentle Fist.

Which he proved when he began to rotate, but rather than using the [ **Rotation** ] defensive technique, he was instead using it he was using the rotation of his body to add the needed strength to his blows as he attempted to counter Naruto's attacks.

I couldn't help the smile that bloomed on my face as I watched the pair duel in the air for several moments before gravity began to take hold of them and dragged them back to the ground. Naruto was still moving, dashing away from Neji as soon as their feet touched the ground as Neji chased after him.

At this point, with his initial plan fizzling out, Naruto was aiming to turn this into a battle of attrition it seems, sapping Neji's strength by forcing him to keep up with Naruto if he wanted to be able to hit him at all, and while it was indeed a fine strategy, especially since Naruto could outlast a lot of people with his Jinchuriki status.

However, there was a problem with this aspect of his plan, namely, Neji was a student of Might Guy, who was one of the very best when it came to helping other develop their stamina and speed for use in taijutsu.

The result was a struggle for Naruto-kun who despite all the training he had undergone over the years, was still inexperienced when it came to actual combat, meanwhile, Neji was an experienced genin with just as much training as Naruto-kun.

I suppressed a wince as I saw Neji land a couple of hits on Naruto-kun's upper thighs, no doubt sealing the tenketsu from the yelp elicited from Naruto-kun's throat as he missed his next step and toppled to the ground.

A from came across my face as Neji began to monologue at Naruto-kun, nothing about the fate spiel like he did in canon, but rather about relying on the big name backing him to get him through his career as a shinobi, making me roll my eyes.

Although, Naruto-kun's response made me supress an undignified bark of laughter as he quickly knocked Neji's feet out from underneath him before delivering a vicious heel drop directly to Neji's solar plexus before climbing back to his feet and taking in a breath.

My eyebrow rose as crimson red chakra swirled around Naruto-kun for a moment before settling as Naruto-kun hopped from foot to foot as Neji tried to get his breath back.

He wasn't given any time to recover, however, as Naruto-kun was suddenly on him with a powerful kick to Neji's side that sent him rolling as Naruto-kun began to form some handseals.

"[ **Wind Release: Vacuum Shockwave** ]!" Naruto-kun declared before launching a visible distortion in the air at Neji who was unable to recover in time to block the attack, sending him flying across the arena.

I blinked as I moved closer to him with a quick burst of speed, and looked him over with a practiced eye. "Neji Hyuuga is unable to continue!" I declared in a loud voice. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as Naruto let out an exuberant cheer, leaping a bit in the air as he threw his fist up.

"Good work, Naruto-kun," I murmured to him under my breath, getting a beaming smile from him in response before he took off to the contender's box to watch the next bout as Neji was escorted off the field by a team of medics.

I glanced up to the Kage box, seeing Hiruzen-sama speaking with the Tsuchikage about something or other as the Mizukage tried to engage with the disguised Orochimaru in conversation, only to receive short and clipped replies from the traitor.

I turned my attention back to the arena as Kurotsuchi and Chojuro came to the center. I gave them the usual explanation of the rules and got confirmation of their readiness before declaring that the match has started and backed away to a safe distance.

I'll be honest, I zoned out their bout a bit as I scanned the crowd, it wasn't that they weren't skilled or well trained, but… more of the fact that I had very little tying me to them. I paid enough attention to play referee and call the end of the match while also judging their performance. But the majority of my attention was looking for any indication of the Suna/Oto attack beginning.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru's minions were rather good at blending in with a crowd it seems as no one was standing out to me.

I turned my eyes back to the duelling pair of genin before me as they seperated from a intense taijutsu exchange, the pair of them panting a bit as they eyed one another for any signs of exploitable weaknesses.

I saw the two of them brace to charge one another once again before feathers began clouding my vision. I quickly pulsed my chakra, disrupting the genjutsu before it took hold as an explosion rocked the kage box.

Huh… looks like Orochimaru is starting early.

Shit.

My attention turned to the contender's box as it exploded with sand as Gaara began attacking Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun relentlessly.

I frowned as I watched the two of them start to lead him away from the coliseum and the panicking civilians and felt the desire to chase after them before squashing it. I had to have faith that they could handle Gaara, I had my own mission to accomplish.

"DEFEND THE CITIZENS!" I shouted commandingly to the shinobi in the crowd. "GET THEM TO THE SHELTERS!"

The genin immediately leapt into action, supporting the chunin and jonin engaging the Oto/Suna forces as Baki appeared in the arena across from me, a serious look on his face as he looked ready to try and stop me.

Fortunately for him, I was not interested in dealing with him. "Genma," I commanded, causing the bandanna wearing jonin to appear next to me. "Deal with him, I'll link up with the others."

"Right," Genma nodded, a grin on his face as he rolled his senbon between his teeth. "I'll deal with things here."

"You're not going anywhere!" Baki shouted as he launched himself at me, Genma not even bothering to stop him as I smirked at the suna-nin before vanishing in a yellow flash, my last sight of Baki was the wide-eyed realization that things were about to go sideways for his side.

* * *

"Report," I commanded as I appeared on the wall that surrounded the village.

"Got about a four to five hundred shinobi out there, mixture of Oto and Suna forces, with about maybe… three to three-hundred and fifty inside Konoha," Aoi responded from his position, looking over at me with a smirk. "So, in all, child's play really."

I smiled back at my teammate from our genin days, Chika stepping up to my other side with a grin of her own.

Just as I had grown as changed, as have my two friends, Aoi was wearing the standard flak vest with a black muscle shirt and a pair of lightweight gauntlets, his face sporting several new scars and a slightly weary look, although his eyes still held determination.

Chika herself was now wearing a ANBU like outfit, a reminder of her time within the outfit as one of their poison specialists before leaving their service when I requested her as one of my guards. Her once long hair had been cut down to her earlobes while her eyes dulled a bit, although she had gained a rather dry sense of humor that she didn't have before.

"Especially considering that we've lined the entire area with those seal tags you've give us," Chika said with a low chuckle. "They're going to be in for quite the shock."

I smirked in response as I stepped forward. "Be ready to deal with the stragglers when I finish up," she announced to the gathered troops. "Once the civilians have been evacuated the shinobi stationed inside the village will be pushing the intruders out, be ready to catch them when they try to leave, let out walls be the anvil."

The shinobi didn't roar out or shout in confirmation, they merely got into position and braced themselves for combat, each and every one of them a veteran of the Third Shinobi War like myself.

"I'm heading out," I told my two teammates who nodded in confirmation as I stepped off the wall that surrounded our village and began my approach towards the approaching army.

* * *

Kosuke Minoru was a veteran of not only the Third Shinobi War, but also the Second, his age only proving his skill and position as an elite jonin of Sunagakure, and while he may not agree with the Kazekage on going to war with Konoha, their forces were just too strong and had too many allies to call upon in his opinion, he would still follow through on his orders and take the walls of Konohagakure.

"Ha! They're only sending out a single woman!" One of the Oto jonin near his position shouted out jeeringly. "This will be too easy!"

"It's Yuriko Uchiha!" A forward Suna chunin shouted in counterpoint to the Oto Jonin's.

Really, these new 'allies' of theirs were highly undisciplined, with Kosuke recognizing several of them from the bingo book as high traitors to their countries, but they also all looked down upon the Suna contingent and were more concerned with splitting the 'spoils' before they actually won the fight.

But still, Kosuke recognized the name, both from the briefing that named her as one of the bigger threats they could field, and recognition from the Third War, hell, he owed her his life, she had kept him alive on the battlefield long enough for him to be transported back to HQ and full medical attention.

Still, she was outnumbered by a large margin, what made her so confident that she would approach on her own like thi-

Unfortunately, Kosuke Minoru would never be able to complete his pondering, as with a flash of yellow, Yuriko slashed him and several others in half with a single slash of her Kodachi as she appeared in their midst.

* * *

I barely reacted to the blood that sprayed into my face as I stood amongst the enemy forces, giving them a moment to process what just happen.

"H… Hiraishin…" one of the Suna shinobi stammered out fearfully, seconds before I zeroed in on another marker for the Hiraishin and appeared over there, in the midst of another group where I quickly slashed out with my Kodachi, wrapping my Kodachi with my [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] as I sliced through the shinobi surrounding me before teleporting to another group and left a bundle of explosive tags at their feet and teleported back at the front of the army as they finally began to react.

I smirked smugly as I stood before them with my base [ **Sharingan** ] active. "Welcome to Konoha," I told them calmly, getting their attention to my location. "Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoyed the sights because now you are no longer welcome here."

They looked nervously at one another as I stood before them before one of the Oto shinobi spoke up. "It's just one _woman_!" he shouted out. "If we take her out, Orochimaru-sama promised us one of her eyes!"

I rose an eyebrow at that as my smirked widened. "Oh? You think it's that simple?" I questioned as I began to walk forward, sheathing my kodachi as I moved. "Here, I'll give you all a handicap and not use my kodachi."

That got a response from the crowd of shinobi as I stung at their pride, several of them moving forward to get around and flank me.

I didn't even bother to stop them as this was exactly I wanted, right now, I was planning on mimicking Madara in canon when he fought the allied forces. That particular 'one man army' moment had been stuck in my mind as a classic tactic to break the morale of an enemy force. A single enemy effortlessly beating down the vast majority of their troops had sent the Allied Shinobi Forces into quite the disarray, at least until the Five Kage had shown up.

Oto and Suna weren't going to get that reprieve this time.

The first one to make a move was an Oto shinobi, who was carrying what looked to be an enlarged kunai, whom charged forward and made a large slash at me, the large weapon's path all to easy to read as I blurred from his sight, only to appear behind him, my own kunai slamming into his temple, dropping him like a rock as I turned to a Suna jonin coming up with a pair of kunai in his hands.

I swayed through his slashes before lashing out with a hand coated with a [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] and ripped his throat apart before spinning out of the way of a flying kunai and quickly detached the connected explosive tag and attached it to the back of a Suna Chunin before kicking him into a cluster of other chunin just before it exploded.

A man ran up, wielding a katana that he slashed at me only for the blow to be diverted as I used one of my hands to hit his wrist before my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] ran through his heart before using his body to block a brace of shuriken. My eyes caught sight of a group of chunin forming similar sets of seals, my [ **Sharingan** ] quickly filling my mind with the seals before I formed a single one.

"[ **Earth Release: Earthen Movement** ]" I announced in a calm voice as the ground beneath the group suddenly began to shake violently, throwing off their concentration from their ninjutsu before rushing in with both of my hands covered with [ **Chakra Scalpels** ] to slice through their organs, removing them from the fight completely.

A displacement of wind made me roll myself out of the way of a blade made of wind that I quickly trace back to an older jonin who had his hand outstretched.

I narrowed my eyes as I formed a single seal and launched a [ **Great Fireball** ] at him that he managed to get out of the way of, only to move right into a stream of high pressure water as my [ **Water Release: Pressure Shot** ] punched through his skull.

By this point many of the shinobi were keeping away from me, unwilling to try and get close to me, which… was honestly just fine with me as I began forming an actual sequence of seals instead of the single seals that I had been using up until this point. "[ **Fire Release: Radiant Dawn** ]," I announced the name of my jutsu as the air around me began to heat up before a ring of flames leapt into life around me and swept over the surprised shinobi around me.

I smirked as I looked over the panicking shinobi around me and began forming another sequence of seals. "Who said you were allowed to flee?" I questioned aloud as I finished the seals and stomped on the ground. "[ **Earth Release: Giant Earth Core Movement** ]!"

There was a brief moment of perfect stillness as the shinobi felt my chakra flare as I released the S-Ranked ninjutsu before the earth violently rocked as the entire area outside of Konoha where we stood, which had to be at least a couple of miles square, dropped into the ground like an elevator dropping. A far more advanced version of the regular [ **Earth Release: Earth Core Movement** ] jutsu, this was usually a jutsu used by many shinobi in unison to share the chakra cost. As a Kage-level (just about) Kunoichi, I could use it by myself.

The shinobi around me froze in fear as they found themselves below ground level, their eyes turning back to me with wide eyes and pale faces as I smirked back at them.

"Hear me now," I commanded as I began to walk towards a large group of them. "You don't face just any other shinobi, you face a God of Shinobi. I am Yuriko Uchiha, the Sword-Scalpel of Konohagakure, and most importantly, I am your executioner. You shall be my example to the world of the foolishness of attacking my home."

The shinobi around me were frozen in fear, my [ **Aura of Absolute Command** ] pressing down upon them. It did have a different effect on some people though as one of the Oto jonin screamed out as he began to charge me. "Screw you! God of Shinobi my ass!" he cried out as he tried to stab me.

I smirked in amusement at his attempt before grabbing the arm that was trying to stab me with and knocked it out of the way before grabbing his throat and channeled my [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] through his throat and into his lungs before dropping him, leaving him to choke and strangle on his own blood and shredded lungs as I continued to move.

"Who's next?" I questioned in an amused tone, looking over the trapped enemy shinobi.

At this point, it was no longer a battle, it was an execution.

* * *

"It seems that your little plan wasn't as subtle as you thought, Orochimaru," Hiruzen commented idly as he looked across at his former student, Onoki and Mei flanking him as they looked at the walls of purple flames surrounded them.

Onoki snorted in response to Hiruzen's words. "Children like him always seem to think that they can pull the wool over the eyes of his superiors," he commented, giving the snake sannin a condescending look.

Orochimaru scowled in response as he looked between the three Kages before him, oh, his plan was almost certainly in shambles, but that didn't mean that it wasn't without its backups.

A backup he was about to bring forth. "It does seem like I am outnumbered right now… doesn't it?" he questioned with a low chuckle as he bit into his thumb and formed some seals. "Shall I correct that? [ **Summoning Technique: Impure World Resurrection** ]" he announced, taking glee at the sight of their shock as three coffins began to raise from the earth before them, the kanji for 'First' 'Second' and 'Fourth' marking each coffin.

"[ **Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World** ]," Onoki quickly reacted, forming the needed seals before launching a large cube with a glowing speck in the center, forcing Orochimaru to leap out of the way as the coffins were completely pulverized by the jutsu.

The snake sannin scowled at the Tsuchikage with a vicious look.

"What?" Onoki questioned at Orochimaru's glare. "You forget boy, I have seen the creator use that technique, and he was far smarter with it than you, he would never deploy it right in front of the enemy and expect them to sit and watch him do it."

Dammit, if there was one thing he hated, it was when someone _other_ than him was right, but…

"Well well, I guess it's a good thing I did that then," He announced with a chuckle as a pair of forms rose up through the roof next to him, resolving into a pair of figures, _very_ familiar to the two veteran Kages.

"Hashirama-sensei… Tobirama-sensei…" Hiruzen breathed out, sagging at the sight of his two mentors. "Orochimaru...you have truly fallen far."

Orochimaru chuckled in response. "Nonsense, I simply have moved _beyond_ you," he replied arrogantly. "How is it? Seeing the faces of your teachers again after so long."

Hiruzen sighed as he closed his eyes momentarily before reopening them, his eyes hard."I see, I should have done this back then when you left the village," he announced in a cold voice as the atmosphere around him change. "Orochimaru, as the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, I hereby sentence you to death."

Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed. "Is that so?" he questioned in amusement. "And how do you plan on killing me, when you need to deal with you predecessors?"

At an unseen signal, the reincarnated corpse of Hashirama leapt into action alongside Tobirama, the two charging towards Hiruzen before being cut off by a surge of magma and a cube of dust as the Mizukage and the Tsuchikage intercepted them. "We'll take care of these two, Hiruzen, deal with your traitor," Onoki announced as he faced off against Hashirama.

"Mm, fighting against the Second Hokage, quite the daunting prospect," Mei admitted as she stood beside her senior kage. "But, I would be lying if I wasn't curious to see how I stack up against such a legendary figure."

Orochimaru frowned in response as Hiruzen stepped past the group facing off against one another to face the snake sannin, he had been counting on overwhelming the elderly kage with the reanimated corpses of his teachers before finishing him off himself, but… the interference of Onoki and Terumi threw a wrench in his plans.

He was no fool. His teacher, despite being a fool, still held the prestigious title of 'God of Shinobi', a title that even Orochimaru himself was reluctant to attempt to claim for himself, at least, not until he got his hands on Yuriko and her sharingan that is.

Hence his plan. He truly didn't think that his resurrected corpses would stop Hiruzen for long, but, they would tire him out, leaving him vulnerable to Orochimaru's attacks.

Orochimaru's trail of thought was quickly derailed as he suddenly found himself under assault from Hiruzen, whom, despite his advanced age - for a shinobi - was showing none of the wear and tear most would at his age as he engaged Orochimaru with taijutsu.

"You always did have an arrogance to you, Orochimaru," Hiruzen commented with a sigh as he swayed out of the way of Orochimaru's fist before responding with a double fist to his chest.

"And you never had enough arrogance, old man!" the Snake Sannin hissed before driving a foot into his old sensei's abdomen and then falling back and thrusting his arms out. "[ **Sen'ei Tajashu** ]!"

From his arms came a dozen white snakes, lunging out of Orochimaru's sleeves in an attempt to bite, poison and bind the Third Hokage.

"[ **Wind Release: Breakthrough** ]!" the old man unleashed the jutsu without any hesitation, blasting the snakes back and away from him before drawing and throwing a handful of shuriken and rapidly going through hand seals even as they left his hand. "[ **Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu** ]!"

The handful of throwing stars multiplied into a veritable wall of steel bearing down on the traitor, who could only blink as he was pummelled with the fusilade of shuriken.

"Kehe...good to see Hiruzen hasn't lost his touch with that jutsu of his." Onoki cackled as he dodged a tree branch from Hashirama.

Once the storm of shuriken passed, Orochimaru's body collapsed to the ground...and then turned into mud.

"An [ **Earth Release: Shadow Clone** ], eh? You never get tired of using that particular technique, Orochimaru." Hiruzen sighed, utterly unsurprised by this turn of events. His traitorous student had always had a kind of predictability about him in how he fought; using that particular variant of the [ **Shadow Clone** ] technique was part of it.

Hiruzen leaned forward a bit to dodge the sword of his student before he moved away, biting his thumb as he flashed through some seals. "[ **Summoning: Monkey King Enma** ]," he intoned as a cloud of smoke erupted around him, quickly dispersing to show a human-sized primeape wearing a tiger skin gi with a konoha forehead protector.

"So… it is _finally_ time, is it, Hiruzen?" Enma questioned, looking unsurprised at his summoning, nor the fact that Orochimaru was their opponent.

"It is." was all Hiruzen said in reply before the two charged at the snake sannin.

Onoki frowned as he glared at the resurrected clone of the Shodai Hokage. "This is pathetic," he growled as he used his [ **Earth Release: Lightweight Rock Technique** ] to fly around the corpse, dodging it's attacks. "The _real_ Hashirama would have already crushed me at this point, you're just a fake wearing his face! [ **Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World** ]!"

The cube shaped attack plowed into a growth of trees that the corpse summoned to attempt to block the attack only for the cube to disintegrate them instantly.

The corpse managed to leap out of the way of the attack only to be slammed by a group of flying rocks as Onoki came flying in with another cube in his hands. "Vanish and go back to the Pure Realm," Onoki commanded. "[ **Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World** ]!"

Onoki could see the briefest of smiles on the corpse's face before the cube slammed into the body enveloping it and disintegrating every single part of it without pause until nothing remained of the either the Shodai or the corpse of the sacrifice.

Mei ducked out of the way of a high pressure jet of water, the stream passing just where her head had been moments before before spitting out a globual of sticky magma in an attempt to pin the Nidaime in place only for the corpse to dodge out of the way.

"My my, if this isn't his full power, I must admit my apprehension at seeing his full amount," the Mizukage muttered to herself, the corpse making no indication of willingness or ability to speak. "[ **Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique** ]," she breath out a stream of lava at the corpse that rolled out of the way before summoning a dragon made of water in an attempt to crush her.

Mei dodged out of the way of the dragon, the water splashing about around her as it's form lost its cohesion, a smirk playing over her features. "My thanks, unlike you, I am unable to create water out of nothing without a fairly large expenditure of chakra." she commented facing the corpse with a grin. "But with the water you created… [ **Earth Release: Rocky Dome** ]," the roof they were standing on began to twist and churn before erupting up around the Nidaime's corpse, Mei forming new seals before the jutsu was fully complete. "[ **Steam Release: Boiling Acid** ]!" she blew out a stream of mist into the dome before it completely closed in around the Nidaime. "Sorry I couldn't give you something more dignified, honored Nidaime Hokage, but I am in no position to play around."

Orochimaru hissed under his breath as he saw the two corpses he had worked so hard to acquire DNA samples for defeated so easily. He had perfected the Nidaime's jutsu far beyond what the man had ever expected it to be, but his modifications required a kunai with a sealing tag to be inserted into the Edo Tensei corpses after they were raised in order to restore the target's abilities to 100% and fully suppress their will, something he hadn't had time to even attempt. That being the case, the Shodaime and Nidaime had only been at about 60% of their total strength at best; less, actually, because they had fought against his will and deliberately made poor tactical choices when fighting the other two Kage.

Now he stood alone against three Kage-level opponents, which was _the opposite_ of what he had planned when he started this fight. He could summon Manda to run wild in Konoha while he made a break for it, but it would only take one Kage to hold the Boss Snake Summon down, two if they wanted to deal with him quickly, which left one to chase after him, possibly catching him in the process.

"Surrender, Orochimaru, you have lost," Hiruzen commanded as he walked forward, twirling the staff form of Enma. "Your forces are being routed as we speak."

Orochimaru's eyes flickered out of the barrier for a fraction of a second, and true enough, he wasn't seeing any smoke rising from within Konoha's walls, and all of the shinobi in the arena were Konohagakure, Kirigakure and Iwagakure Shinobi which were all staring at the barrier, waiting to take action.

With odds like this, he couldn't feasibly find a way to achieve victory without loosing his own life in the process, and he could see the four members of the Sound Four looking around nervously, seeking an avenue of escape, especially without the big distraction of the Sunagakure Jinchuriki going on a rampage in the middle of the village like he planned, there wasn't even a way where he could claim a hostage easily to ensure his escape with.

The weakest person in the barrier right now was Mei Terumi, someone who held the _entirety_ of the Kirigakure rebellion up by herself before the receiving aid from both Konoha and Iwa. It rankled him badly at being put into such a corner so easily; _everything_ had been planned out _perfectly_. Orochimaru actually felt a pang of regret at having killed the Yondaime Kazekage, if he was here, he would have been a perfect sacrificial pawn for his escape.

"Kukuku," he forced the chuckle out as he put up his image of superiority. "You have survived today, Sarutobi- _sensei_ , but I _will_ see Konoha razed to the ground," he signaled for the Sound Four to drop the barrier and assist him in fleeing before making a handseal and triggering several explosive notes planted on the roof.

Not that he actually planned on helping the four of them escape, the only thing they would be good for now was a momentary distraction as he split apart into a multitude of snakes that all fled off in separate directions in the cloud of debris and smoke.

The Sound Four moved in to link up with Orochimaru like they had planned only to freeze when they saw no sign of the snake sannin, and instead only came face to face with a trio of pissed of Kages with a small army supporting them.

Tayuya, ever the smart one of the team immediately raised her hands in surrender, dropping her flute to the ground. An action the other three quickly followed as they felt the killing intent being poured off the 'Professor'.

Really, being a prisoner was better than being killed without a chance of fighting back.

* * *

One thing Kabuto prided himself on, was analyzing a situation, like their invasion, it was obvious that the entire plan went tits up right from the start, even before hand when Orochimaru confidently believed that much didn't need to be altered for the arrival of _two_ allied Kages.

But, everything could still be considered a success with two things, one, the assassination of Sarutobi Hiruzen. The death of the Sandaime Hokage would strike a severe blow to the moral of Konohagakure and catapult Orochimaru into infamy, generating more revenue as people would look to their Otogakure to do their dirty work more.

And secondly, the kidnapping of one Madoka Uchiha to serve as collateral against Yuriko Uchiha and bring her to heel for Orochimaru's plans.

It was a simple matter for the spy to gain access to the clan building the Uchiha were occupying, with the majority of the clan's shinobi assisting with the repelling of the invaders, and while there were a few close calls, Kabuto was still able to get to Yuriko's quarters unseen and unheard by anyone.

He quickly dispatch the single Uchiha that was within, some random chunin guarding the daughter of the Clan Head while the child slept, blissfully unaware of everything happening around it.

Grinning, he moved to collect the child when he felt it.

A mass of killing intent that rivaled the likes of Orochimaru.

He quickly leapt away from the child's bed as a bulky figure appeared before him, Kabuto's eyes widened at the sight of Han standing protectively before the child. "I don't know, **who you are, but you are going to die, painfully, and screaming for mercy!** " the jinchuriki growled out, his voice shifting as the bijuu's chakra came bubbling out, looking as wrathful as the vessel. " **It's not often we both are united about something, so congratulations, you pissed** _ **both**_ **of us off.** "

Kabuto's eyes widened as he made a move to retreat.

Only to be met with a chakra shrouded fist as Han slammed into him, the Oto spy _smashing_ through the _chakra reinforced_ walls of the Clan building and right to a neighbouring one.

What the _fuck_ was _Han_ doing here?

Kabuto didn't even hesitate as he began bolting for the walls of the village, leaving behind a Kage Bunshin to lead the enraged Jinchuriki on a wild goose chase while he escaped. Really, he should have protested further about changing their plans to accommodate the two kage more, and several jinchuriki, and Yuriko Uchiha, really, the entire plan was stupid from the start.

A rush of memories told him his Kage Bunshin was already dealt with, but he had gained enough ground that he was confident that the jinchuriki wouldn't be able to find him… but still, to be safe he formed another one that made to move towards the child again, hoping to keep the Jinchuriki locked there in case of another attempted kidnapping.

Really, they should've just waited longer, but no, Orochimaru had to let his ego get the better of him. He was never going to let this go in future.

* * *

There were many things Sasuke had experienced in life, the death of his family, gaining a new one, learning under Yuriko, becoming brothers with Naruto, training under Kakashi, encountering missing ninja in Wave, but… all of that experience didn't really prepare him for dealing with a mentally unstable Jinchuriki in the form of Gaara no Sabaku.

The second that the war started, Naruto spotted Gaara making a move towards the village and gathered him and Sakura to assist him in pursuing him, sensing the Bijuu within the boy and knowing if he ran wild _within_ Konoha, than the death toll would be immense.

They weren't entirely sure what was going on, but they spotted several teams of Konoha, Iwa and Kiri ninja teaming up against Suna and Oto shinobi as they pursued the three Suna siblings to just outside of the walls of the village where Gaara began to go crazy, attacking everyone around him, even his own siblings as they attempted to protect him,

Even as Naruto engaged the jinchuriki, he and Sakura had to still deal with the siblings as, even after being attacked, they still kept on trying to protect him.

Then Gaara transformed.

And everything went to _shit_ after as Shukaku began attacking them wildly.

Naruto blanked out for a moment, a sign that he was speaking to his passenger inside of his own seal as Sasuke and Sakura attempted to keep him covered, Sasuke just barely managing to keep the sand off of them as Shukaku played around with them gleefully.

Then, _Naruto_ transformed.

It wasn't a complete transformation, that much was obvious as the fox that formed only had four tails and was only about half the size of Shukaku, but while it was smaller, it began _dismantling_ the One-Tailed Bijuu.

"When the hell could you do _this,_ Naruto!?" Sakura shouted in confusion next to him, clinging for dear life atop of the giant fox as it leapt around the giant bijuu.

" **Uhh, just about four seconds ago?** " came the sheepish reply of his brother. " **Listen, I don't know how long I can manage this, but Kurama told me that if we can wake Gaara up, then Shukaku's mind will be suppressed and his form will break down!** "

"Right, me and Sakura can do that," Sasuke confirmed, looking up at the forehead of the sand construct where the upper half of Gaara was seen, hanging limply. "Can you get us closer?"

" **Yeah, no worries on that end,** " Naruto assured as he leapt around another wave of sand as Shukaku began ranting and raving about… _something_ , really he wasn't paying attention to the beast at this point. " **Here we go!** "

Naruto leapt forward, bounding off of the wave of sand to get some air, blasting out a blast of air from his mouth to counter the Bijuu's before using his tailed to push against a nearby tree to propel them closer. " **Now!** " Naruto shouted, prompting the two to leap off of him towards Gaara, only for a wave of sand to leap up to engulf them.

Reacting quickly, Sasuke quickly cupped his hands under Sakura's right foot, with the Pinkette quickly catching onto his plan, an propelled her further other the wave of sand before forming a quick series of seals. "[ **Lightning Release: Lightning Shroud** ]!" He shouted as sparks of electricity began to shoot off of him, allowing him to plow through the sand with no resistance.

"SHANNARO!" the pinkette roared as she reared her fist back and slammed it into the head of the Jinchuriki, garnering a wince from her teammates, they _knew_ just how hard she could hit when she wanted to.

Gaara shouted in pain as he was forcefully awoken, Shukaku screaming in rage at being suppressed again as the four of them began to drop to the ground, the sand construct breaking apart as the chakra holding it together dissipated.

Sasuke looked over to Naruto just in time to see his fox form fade out as the blond boy crashed into the ground with a pained groan in time with the others. "All of the last minute _hurt_ ," the boy whined as his two teammates moved to help him.

"How…" the pained groan forced them to look over to the prone Gaara. "How… are you… so strong?" his voice was a mixture of pain, pleading and confusion as he looked at the three of them, although his eyes were locked onto Naruto.

"Because, I'm not alone," Naruto replied as Sasuke and Sakura assisted him to his feet. "I think I get you Gaara, not completely, but… I get something of what you went through, if I didn't have nee-san, if I didn't have Sasuke and Sakura, or anyone else who acknowledged my existence, I could've ended up just like you, but… Gaara, you're not alone, and… we acknowledge you."

Gaara's eyes widened in shock as his siblings landed next to him, Kankuro standing before him protectively, holding his Puppet at the ready as Temari began to help him up. "Temari…? Kankuro…?" he questioned in disbelief.

"You're our brother," Kankuro said, keeping his eyes on the Konoha ninja. "Always have been, always will be, no matter what dad says."

"Come on, let's go home, Gaara…" Temari said gently as she began to help him move, Gaara doing nothing to stop her in a mixture of weakness and disbelief.

He could feel trails of wetness dip down his cheeks as he stared at his sister, as if just seeing her for the first time. "I'm… sorry," he choked out with a sob.

"We know," Kankuro assured, moving to follow the two as the Konoha ninja made no move to pursue.

"Is it really alright, letting them go like that?" Sasuke murmured quietly to Naruto.

"Yeah, it's fine," Naruto assured. "I don't think they're our enemies anymore."

"Right," Sasuke sighed in response. "Come on, let's get back home."

"Home sounds nice, my bed sounds even better," Naruto groaned. "Do you have _any_ idea how painful that was turning into a giant fox?"

"I'm sure you'll be telling us all about it for the next year," Sakura replied humorously as the three began laughing, not even noticing as Roshi watched over them from above.

"And here I was worried they were in over their head," the man groaned, hearing Son Goku's laughter inside of him.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER**

 **POST AN: Seriously, guys, thanks for sticking with me for so long, I hope my next chapter won't be as long of a wait as this one was, but I can't make timeline promises, thanks again for sticking with me.**


	35. Chapter 31: Godaime

I let out a sigh as I looked out of the window of Hiruzen's - and soon to be my own office at Konoha that was in the midst of rebuilding. All in all, the damages were rather minor in the end, with the only major damages being the Arena and some damage to the Hospital, which shouldn't take longer than a week to repair on their own.

"Getting used to the view, Yuriko-chan?" Hiruzen questioned behind me in amusement.

I smirked back at the elderly man who was clad in the full Hokage robe and hat. "Figure I should while I have the chance," I replied back. "Still can't believe this is happening."

Hiruzen chuckled in response. "I was the same way, as was Minato," he informed as he joined me in viewing the village. "Still, it is happening, and in a few minutes too."

Sure enough, people weren't really working on repairing the damages today, rather they were gathered for the announcement of my promotion to Hokage and the ceremony that followed. "Heap on the stress some more, why don't you?" I requested dryly, my sarcasm clear.

Hiruzen laughed in amusement as an ANBU entered. "Sarutobi-sama, Uchiha-sama, it's time," he informed politely before vanishing again.

"Shall we?" Hiruzen looked to me with a smirk.

"No time like the present." I sighed out walking out with Hiruzen, heading up to the roof where the entire population could see us, last time I was up here for an official function, was when Minato-sama was being inaugurated.

"People of Konoha," Hiruzen called out to the crowd who quieted down at his voice, listening to what he had to say, off to the side I could see Onoki and Mei standing on a nearby roof, watching us intently with their retinue. "For many years I have been your leader, through war and through peace. When the Yondaime died, I stood up once again to take on the mantle as your leader until the time came for a new shinobi to rise to that occasion… and today, a shinobi has."

I could feel the weight of all the eyes upon me as Hiruzen continued to speak. "She has proven herself to be a loyal and capable member of Konohagakure, through wars and strife, she not once backed away, nor has she ever shirked her duty," he announced, turned to me and gestured me forward. "I present to you, your Godaime Hokage, Yuriko Uchiha!"

The crowd erupted into a deafening cheer as I bent down to allow Hiruzen to place the Hokage's hat onto my head as his guard passed on the ceremonial blades to my own.

Straightening, I turned to face the crowd, waiting for their cheers to die down a bit before speaking. "My fellow villagers, I know I am young, I know the burden I undertake to be a great one, but I give you my oath, that I shall do everything within my power to protect this village, all who dwell within it, and any who stand by our side as our ally!" I shouted out, my determination clear as day as I spoke. "And let any who wish to see our peace broken, be broken in return in the face of our _**UNITY!**_ "

The crowd erupted into a massive roar again as I stood over them, my eyes being drawn to my family, Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun looking completely flabbergasted at the sight of me with a hat on my head as Roshi held Madoka-chan in his arms, smiling proudly up at me alongside Han and my mother who was openly weeping in pride.

Seeing a flicker of something in the corner of my eyes I turned my gaze to the side where a sight of two familiar faces caused my eyes to widen. Though they were translucent, and possibly a trick of the mind, I could have sworn, I had seen both my father, and my brother, smiling at me in pride.

But, with a blink of my eyes, they were gone, with nothing standing where they had been. But still… I knew they were proud of me, and, that would be enough for me.

* * *

I now sat in Hiruzen's...no _my_ seat behind _my_ desk, looking around it with a somewhat amazed look. "I had sat on this side before, many times," I commented to the shinobi around me, Hiruzen-sama and Jiraiya-sama, who were looking rather amused by my amazement, along with Tsume and Hiashi, who looked amused, but understanding. "But… it suddenly feels _very_ different."

"It will feel like that while you settle in," Hiruzen-sama assured me, amusement filling his tone. "So, what is your first act as Hokage going to be, Godaime-sama?"

I glowered slightly at him for his teasing before sharing a look with my two advisors. "There is actually something I have been thinking of," I replied after a moment. "Would you mind postponing your retirement as a shinobi for one more mission, Hiruzen-sama?"

The old man merely hitched an eyebrow at me. "And what mission would you like to assign me, Godaime-sama?"

"A retrieval mission, of sorts." I said, girding my loins. "I want you and Jiraiya-sama to find and bring Tsunade Senju back to the village."

"Damn, knew this was coming." Jiraiya muttered.

"I see…" Hiruzen-sama mused. "Well, considering we are likely the only two people that Tsunade-chan are likely to listen to, it is an excellent choice on your part. If I wish to decline, however, what will you do?"

"If you decline, I'll send Naruto-kun along with Jiraiya-sama to remind her of her brother." I admitted shamelessly. "We cannot afford to have one of the few S-Class Kunoichi in Konoha's history wasting her talents drinking and gambling her life away, Hiruzen-sama. Not now, when, in spite of the fact that we had less than a hundred casualties during the Oto-Suna War, all of the other villages, Kiri and Iwa aside, are eying us and wondering how much weaker we have become after the fight."

"I see." Hiruzen-sama sighed. "I never wished to press Tsunade-chan; she always gave her heart openly and fully whenever she did so. Losing Dan and Nawaki was a bitter and sore blow for her, one I doubt she has gotten over as of yet."

I knew for a fact that she wouldn't have at this point. Still, I _would_ have Tsunade in Konoha soon; Naruto-kun was her family as well, and she had spent her entire life moping around and feeling sorry for herself while he worked his ass off trying to impress me (and succeeding quite a lot of the time, not that he knew it).

"That is why the Yamanaka Clan are an indispensable part of Konoha; thanks to their Mind jutsu, their knowledge of human psychology is nigh-unsurpassed and their mental counselling sessions are very effective, as I can testify from personal experience." I said firmly. "She had been given more than enough time to come to grips with those she lost; now, she has to lay her ghosts to rest before she completely clears out the Senju accounts."

"Agreed." Hiruzen-sama sighed painfully again. "Very well. I accept this mission, Godaime-sama. What incentives am I permitted to use to gain her cooperation?"

"If memory serves, back during the Second...or was it _Third_...War, she wanted to institute a program to train med-nin?" I asked thoughtfully. Med-nin were pretty much taught on a master-apprentice basis with a few exceptions, such as at the hospital.

"Yes, although there was no time or funding to institute it back then, and she left Konoha very quickly after the Third War." the former-Sandaime nodded.

"Tell her she'll be given permission to design and implement the program she envisioned, subject to a discussion with me regarding the goals of said project." I said firmly. No _way_ was I going to let her push her stupid 'Med-nin Rules' without any other recourse to them. "Also, she'll be placed in charge of the hospital, with the goal of improving the skills of the doctors there. Finally, remind her about Naruto-kun...one of the last remaining family members she has in this world. She will likely react to _that_ as much as the other two incentives put together."

"That is the carrot, Godaime-sama…" Hiashi cleared his throat delicately before speaking. "What about the stick?"

I let a cold smile grace my face. "Just one, small, threat...if she refuses to come back, tell her I'll be coming to _drag her back personally_ , whether she wants to or not. I'll also be giving you a Hiraishin kunai to throw if that happens."

"Can I ask why you are so determined to have Tsunade back?" Jiraiya asked bluntly. "And please don't give me any gabble about Naruto or the good name of Konoha."

"Orochimaru." I said seriously. "Ibiki, Anko and the rest of the T&I department have been interrogating the four bodyguards that he abandoned. Apparently, there is a former fifth member who is very much stronger than the four of them put together...one Kimimaro Kaguya, last of the Kaguya Clan. He was retired from active duty because he has a disease unique to the Bloodline Limit of the Kaguya Clan. But if there's anyone who can get him back in working order, it's Tsunade."

"And why do you think she would be willing to even _consider_ working with Orochimaru?" Tsume questioned with a concerned look. "I mean, the falling out the sannin had is, no offense Jiraiya-sama, pretty legendary."

"Because, Orochimaru can give her exactly what she wants with the Impure World Resurrection," I informed grimly. "All he has to do is dangle the promise of bringing her brother and fiancé back, and she would follow him like a lost puppy."

"Oh, Tsunade-chan…" Hiruzen-sama sighed.

"Dammit." Jiraiya sighed too. He still carried a torch for her after all these years. I had to give him credit for not giving up, despite her hard-headed intransigence and frequent bouts of physical violence towards him. Thank god I trained Sakura out of that habit before she met Tsunade.

"Time is of the essence, gentlemen, so depart as soon as you have finished all necessary preparations." I kicked them out of their thoughts with a brisk, businesslike tone. "As she seems determined to live up to her nickname of the Legendary Sucker, she's probably in a gambling town...such as Tanzaku Gai. Please try not to destroy any famous landmarks if you have to fight either her or Orochimaru; the Fire Daimyo would never let me hear the end of it."

Hiruzen smirked at me as he quirked an eyebrow at me. "Oh? You mean like how you and Roshi-kun decided to nearly create an active volcano near the border?" he questioned teasingly getting a sigh out of me as I slumped.

"I'm _never_ going to hear the end of that," I groaned. "Get out of here before I decide to throw you on border patrol," I said, smiling at the former Hokage who laughed in response.

"As you command, Godaime-sama," he shot back with a teasing bow.

I rolled my eyes at my advisors, Tsume was barely restraining her laughter as Hiashi shook his head with a smirk on his face.

"I'll send a toad with a status update later on," Jiraiya assured me before pausing. "Actually… would it be possible to still bring Naruto along with us?"

I blinked as I turned to face the large man with a raised eyebrow. "Why is that?" I questioned curiously. I could guess, based on my knowledge of the canon timeline, but I wanted to hear his reasoning myself.

"Well, while it is true he could help us with Tsunade, that's not the reason I want to bring him with me… I want to make him my apprentice," Jiraiya told me seriously.

I leaned back in my new chair with a serious expression. Apprenticeship, I had learned, was a very serious thing in this world, whereby doing so, it showed that the teacher believed their student to be their heir, and in some cases, very literally if a notable person, such as a Clan Leader or similar were to pass without any direct bloodline heirs, their apprentice could very well be considered their heir.

"Very well," I said after several moments. "But, I want you to start teaching him about your spy network," I told him, leaning forward to rest my arms on my new desk. "While I have absolute faith in your skills, it always pays to be prepared, just in case."

"Yeah, I can do that," Jiraiya confirmed, nodding in agreement. "I'll let him know about the mission," he quickly leapt out of the open window, heading towards the Uchiha Clan building.

"He's rather excited about having an apprentice," Hiruzen commented in amusement as he moved over to the open window. "Haven't seen him move like that in a while."

I smirked at Hiruzen a bit in return. "I think he is also eager to see Tsunade again," I added before my smirk dropped a bit. "Sorry to use you like this..."

Hiruzen chuckled a bit in response. "Don't apologize, honestly, it is the right decision. I have been rather… lenient with Tsunade-chan's actions as of late," he admitted, smiling wryly. "Besides, now, I am but a shinobi in the service of my Kage, it is my job to follow your orders, like you have mine for so long."

I smiled back at him. "Thank you, Hiruzen-sama," I replied, letting my shoulders relax. "Now, I apparently have a dozen and a half meetings to read me into all the ANBU ops, and other things that will no doubt generate paperwork."

Hiruzen laughed in response. "Than I shall leave it to you, Godaime-sama," he teased with an exaggerated bow. "Good luck."

"Good to see that Sandaime-sama still has his energy even after all these years," Hiashi commented, watching the former Kage move over the rooftops like a man half his age.

"I think he's just glad he can escape all the paperwork he had to deal with," Tsume commented, looking at the small pile that was already waiting for me.

"She's not wrong," Aoi commented as he entered with Chika and Genma. "Plus, you've got the meeting with the ANBU commander in five minutes, the Jonin commander after that, and your first Council meeting as Hokage in two hours."

I rolled my eyes in response. "No rest for the Hokage, huh?" I questioned dryly, getting chuckles from the occupants of the room. "Right, let's get this started, come on in, Bear," I called out for the ANBU commander to start my long string of meetings for the day.

* * *

Naruto took in a deep breath as he walked through his mental landscape, a large underground labyrinth, one that he had no problem navigating as he moved towards the area the Kyuubi's seal was.

" **So, the brat returns, huh?** " the massive beast commented as Naruto walked up to the massive bars that represented his seal. " **What is it** _ **this**_ **time?** "

"I wanted to thank you," Naruto replied easily, long since adjusted to both Kurama's presence, and attitude. "You helped me protect my friends and home… thank you, I appreciate your help."

The massive head of the fox shaped chakra beast shifted as he took in the sight of the blond jinchuriki with a curious look. " **I didn't do it for them, I simply wanted to show Shukaku who was the strongest, I can hardly do that if he kills my host, now can I?** " Kurama replied dryly.

"Maybe so, but still, even if it wasn't your intention, the end result was still the same," Naruto countered with a grin.

Kurama rolled his eyes in response. " **I doubt that is your** _ **only**_ **reason for visiting me, what else did you want,** " he grumbled out, not quite meeting Naruto's gaze.

The genin grinned in response, a sure sign that Kurama was actually happy with being thanked - at least, that's what his past experiences and what Son Goku and Kokuo told him. "Well, I was hoping you would be able to lend me your chakra again in the future, so that I can train with it," Naruto requested. "I know I could've done a lot better with it then what I did, so, I want to make sure that I don't besmirch you name later on."

He could hear the intelligible grumbling of the chakra beast in response to his words, a sign he said the right thing as Kurama turned towards him again. " **Fine, brat,** " he relented. " **But only because if you're going to be representing me, I don't want my name to be dragged through the mud.** "

"Got it!" Naruto replied easily, saluting the Bijuu. "Thanks again, Kurama!"

Kurama rolled his eyes again as the mental avatar of his host faded from sight. " **Damn kid,** " he grumbled out, secretly pleased with how things were going between the two of them. " **Maybe the old man was right…** "

Naruto let out a sigh as he came out of his meditative trance that he used to enter his mindscape to find Jiraiya and Hiruzen sitting at the table with Roshi and Madoka.

"Jiji! Ero-sennin!" he called out cheerfully, getting a smile from Hiruzen and a wince form Jiraiya.

"Dammit gaki, what did I tell you about calling me that!" Jiraiya groused in response. "It's _way_ too undignified!"

"But wholly accurate," Hiruzen commented in amusement. This made his former-student pout manfully.

"What's up? Why are you two here?" Naruto questioned in confusion, tilting his head at the two.

"Well, we just got assigned a mission by the new Hokage," Jiraiya commented, grinning as Naruto's eyes became a bit vacant at the reminder of his sister's new position. "And, we wanted a bit of backup for it, so she allowed us to bring you along."

Naruto's eyes snapped back into focus. "Me? Why?" he looked at the two of them. "Couldn't you get someone like Roshi or even ANBU to help you if you need it?"

"That's not quite the help that we need," Jiraiya said with a shrug. "Well, it was more like, _I_ wanted to bring you along, you learned what I had to teach you during your training for the chunin exams pretty quickly, so… I wanted to make you my apprentice."

Naruto blinked in surprise as he stared at the Toad Sannin for a moment. "Me?" he questioned finally.

Jiraiya nodded in confirmation. "Yup," he replied bluntly.

"Why?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes a bit as he thought it over.

"Mostly because you remind me of myself when I was your age, if a bit more restrained then I was," Jiraiya commented, steadfastly ignoring Hiruzen's commented of 'Try a lot more'. "Plus, it's getting time for me to pass on what I know and Konoha's intel network."

Naruto blinked in response to that particular reveal. "Why me?" he questioned. "Especially for something like that?"

"Contrary to popular belief, intelligence gather is primarily an interaction job, you build contacts with people, become their friend, once you're their friend, they are willing to give you information that they hear, and a lot of information can be gleaned just by talking with someone," Jiraiya informed calmly. "And the more approachable one is, the easier it is to get the info."

"Yuriko-chan, for example," Hiruzen butted in with a smile. "While those who know her find her easily approachable, those who don't find her to be a very intimidating figure, especially when her reputation is brought in, they would clam up with just her presence alone because of how strong she is perceived to be, which with rumours, is often greater than reality."

"On the flipside, you have yourself," Jiraiya countered. "In contrast to your sister, you are very approachable to the average person, mostly due to your friendly and open nature as a person, whereas Yuriko is a reserved and serious person by contrast. This makes you perfect for the job of maintaining the intel network as you are an easy person to trust."

Naruto frowned as he considered it for a moment, his eyes closing in an almost fox-like manner as he through before his eyes opened up. "Alright, I can do that," he assured with a nod.

Jiraiya smirked in response as Hiruzen smiled. "Well, you better get your gear kid, we're on a time table for this mission of ours," he informed. "We need to head out right away if we want to catch our target."

"Umm… what is the mission anyways?" Naruto questioned in confusion.

"We're retrieving Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya informed, his smile melting into a grimace.

"Your sister decided that it was time for her to return home," Hiruzen replied with a small sigh. "So, she decided that the two of us would have the best chance to bringing her back willingly."

"What if she _isn't_ willing?" Naruto asked in concern.

"Then your sister will deal with it," Jiraiya informed, showing the kunai Yuriko handed to him. "Our job is to locate and give the initial offer. If Tsunade-hime gets violent, then Yuriko will deal with her."

Naruto nodded before heading to his room to grab his go bag.

"Good luck with getting her back," Roshi told the pair as he played with Madoka. "From what I've heard, she has quite the temper when, even when she's sober."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "She does, but we will be able to convince her to return," he informed calmly. "She doesn't really hate Konoha, she has simply lost her way."

Roshi hummed in response, adjusting Madoka's grip on the toy kunai in her hand to the proper way to hold it. "Well, good luck all the same," he told the pair as Naruto came into the room carrying his pack.

"Ready," the blonde informed seriously, getting a nod from the pair as they stood up. "See you when I get back, Roshi-jii."

Roshi chuckled as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "Keep yourself safe out there kid,your sister would be disappointed if you got hurt," he told him warningly.

Naruto grinned up at him. "Hey, it's me we're talking about," he boasted confidently. "I'll be fine!"

Roshi smiled at him. "Well, better get going then," he said, nodding towards Hiruzen and Jiraiya. "See you when you get back, Naruto."

"Definitely!" Naruto nodded before following after the two older Shinobi as they left the apartment.

* * *

I let out a small sigh as I looked around my new office, my briefings finished, and my guard now off duty as I was finishing up for the day.

 **Congratulations, Hokage-sama.**

I barely blinked as the message appeared before me, a small chuckle escaping my lips in response. "Thank you," I replied, smiling slightly. "How are you doing today?"

 **Quite well, thank you. You have changed things quite a bit… Fatechanger.**

One of my eyebrows rose in response to the term of address. "Fatechanger?" I questioned curiously.

 **A most fitting title for yourself and your impact on the world around you. Not only is the Uchiha Clan still alive with more than one member, but now highly respected again in Konohagakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi is still alive, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha are brothers in all but name, and many more things.**

 **There really is no better title for one such as you.**

I blinked as my status screen popped up on it's own, showing two new titles present.

 **Fatechanger - Destiny and Fate hold no meaning to you, no matter what plans higher powers have for you or yours, you will forge your own path, no matter what. (+100% to all stats.)**

 **Godaime Hokage - The Fifth Hokage to take up leadership of the village, your skills and power have been recognized by all who live in the village. (+100% Reputation with allied Shinobi, Command of Konohagakure Shinobi, you can 25% of experience given out for missions completed by loyal shinobi)**

 **You have repulsed the Oto/Suna invasion with minimal casualties!**

 **3,000,000 EXP Gained  
You have gained Three Levels!**

I chuckled in response as I closed the windows. "I doubt those are why you are here," I told my friend, smirking at the box, feeling a sense of amusement from it.

 **True, I have a request from you, if you would allow me?**

"Of course," I told them calmly, smiling at the box.

 **Your presence has been noted by…** _ **others**_ **. Ones who would like to see your actions in other worlds, some for their own entertainment, others for the positive change that you could initiate within them.**

"I am somewhat busy right now." I answered dryly.

 **It would not be until your natural lifespan has been completed, and it would not be…** _ **you**_ **exactly, it would be a clone of sorts, it would have your memories and abilities, but you would still be within the Pure Land if you so wish to.**

My eyebrow rose at their comment. "Have you done something like this before?" I questioned them.

 **Once or twice, however, the individuals did not work out to well, they ended up losing themselves in their own god complexes and they had to be dealt with.**

I gave the box a deadpan look. "You do realize that I _am_ an Uchiha, right?" I commented dryly. "We're the poster children for God Complexes."

 **No that would be the Otsutsuki Clan.**

I snorted in response. "So, this clone of mine, what point would you copy me at?" I questioned.

 **Your memories and abilities at the time of your death, you age may vary depending on the other's wish for the time period you are dropped in.**

I nodded in understanding as I leaned back into my chair in contemplation, I could tell they were looking for my permission to do this. "One condition," I replied carefully. "And it may be a fairly simple one."

 **Yes?**

"I need help awakening the Rinnegan, I know several possible ways I could do so, but… it would cross several _moral_ boundaries that I don't want to," I had no issue with the _ethical_ boundaries, as I had done worse on Hiruzen's orders, but my moral boundaries would never allow me to experiment with family members. "It could be possible to awaken it using some of Naruto-kun's blood and a sample of Senju blood, but… I would like to avoid doing that if possible, no need for people to see me as the second coming of Orochimaru or something."

 **Fair enough, although that method would not be a guarantee, as Black Zetsu has been meddling for a long time.**

I nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

 **I cannot awaken it myself, but… I can put you in contact with the one who can.**

I paused in thought at that. "You mean Hagoromo?" I questioned, looking at the box with furrowed eyes.

 **Yes, you have contact with a fragment of his power, all that is needed to form the connection to his spirit, the rest, will be up to you to convince him to help you.**

I let out a small sigh in response. This could be a difficult task, but, I was willing to do it. "Alright," I said softly. "I will talk to him."

 **That… is one thing I admire about you, Yuriko Uchiha, at no point do you say try, just, you** _ **will**_ **, I shall form the connection.**

I let out a small sigh as I leaned back into my chair and closed my eyes, allowing myself to slip into a meditative state.

"So, you are the one who is caring for the growth of the reincarnation of my sons," the voice was old, but powerful, and resolute. "I greet you, Yuriko Uchiha, Daughter of Shigure and Genrai Uchiha, Reincarnate from another world."

I opened my eyes to the sight of a man floating in the air, sitting cross legged as he looked down at me with a pair of Rinnegan eyes, a third eye bearing the Rinne-Sharingan embedded into his forehead.

"I greet you, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, founder of Ninshu, Sage of Six Paths, and Father of the Bijuu," I replied easily, facing him with my back straight as I met his gaze. "You know of me?"

He nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off of me for a moment. "Since the moment you took up my [ **Amenonuhoko** ], I have known of your existence, and I have watched your growth and actions in the world," he commented. "Yours, is a path steeped in bloodshed."

I didn't flinch at the accusation. "That is true," I replied easily. "There are many things I could say in an attempt to justify my actions, but I think we both know neither of us want to waste our time with that."

Hagoromo nodded at me. "That is true as well, descendant of Asura," he said. "You walk this path of bloodshed, yes, but, not once have you done it for your own gain, even with this 'gaming' power of yours, you entered the battlefield for a singular reason."

"To protect my family," I finished. "Because I know of a pair who can bring an end to the worse of all of this."

"The reincarnations of Asura and Indra," Hagoromo said with a sigh. "And what would you use the Rinnegan for, if you were given it."

I paused for a moment, looking at him with hooded eyes. "I would stop the Revival of Kaguya and ensure that the Black Zetsu is no longer able to interfere with this world," I said after several moments of us staring at each other.

"So, my Mother's revival does draw near," he commented with a long sigh. "What is it you saw, in the stories from your home?"

"A close and narrow victory," I answered. "They won, yes, but it was a near thing, and there are several ways to stop it."

Hagoromo hummed in response as he closed his eyes in thought. "And if you succeed in preventing the revival of my mother?" he questioned after a few moments.

"I will continue as I have, laying the groundwork for peace to flourish," I answered honestly. "I know those two can bring it forth, and I know they can protect it, I just wish to ensure that the path is there for them."

He nodded his head as he opened his eyes. "I believe you," he said simply as he held a hand out to me, palm facing me to show a half-moon symbol. "Very well, I shall awaken the Rinnegan within you, I hope you find success in your mission."

I bowed my head to him as a sign of respect as I could _feel_ my power shift. "Thank you, Hagoromo," I replied gratefully as I opened my eyes to the real world and I could _see_ the flow of my yin and yang chakra within me.

I allowed the Rinnegan to fade as I stood up and looked out over the village. "I will be sure to use this power for the sake of others," I whispered to myself. "At the very least, I can do that for your legacy."

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 105  
 **EXP** : 4,021/650,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Godaime Hokage (+100% Reputation with allied Shinobi, Command of Konohagakure Shinobi, you can 25% of experience given out for missions completed by loyal shinobi)  
 **Secondary Title:** God of Shinobi (+50% to all stats +100% Reputation with all allied Shinobi +10% Damage with all ninja arts. Skill [Aura of Absolute Command] active)  
 **Fated Title:** Fatechanger (+100% to all stats.) **  
STATS  
HP - **20,025 **  
CP -** 95,800  
 **STR -** 115 (287) **  
INT -** 160 (300) **  
DEX -** 200 (500) **  
VIT -** 115 (287) **  
WIS -** 160 (300) **  
LUK -** 50 (125)  
 **Ryo** \- 342,761,998  
 **Stat Points -** 15

 **New Skills**

[ **Rinnegan** ] - Lvl MAX - Considered to be the pinnacle of all Doujutsu, it allows the wielder to fully master all five elemental chakras, yin and yang chakra and the 7 Paths which allow you to share vision with beings that you share your chakra with. Each Rinnegan also comes with a unique ability unique to each wielder alone. Yuriko's ability is [ **Yomotsu-hisame (Eight Hags of the Underworld)** ] a Space/Time technique that allows Yuriko to call forth up to eight past versions of herself, either at a point in time she specified or randomized, with each of these past versions being able to act as a different 'Path'.


	36. Chapter 32: Slug Princess Tsunade

**SURPRISE A RANDOM CHAPTER HAS APPEARED!**

 **Seriously, thanks guys, 2k reviews and climbing!**

* * *

There were many things that Hiruzen Sarutobi had missed about the regular shinobi life when he took up the mantle of Hokage, and one of the biggest things was being able to freely travel the land as he pleased, something that most Hokage are unable to do, as the village needed their oversight.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself, Sensei," Jiraiya commented with an amused grin from next to him, keeping an eye on Naruto behind them as the blond focused on the water balloon in his hand.

"Jiraiya-kun, the last time I left Konoha, it was to visit the Fire Daimyo to inform him of my second retirement. The time before that, it was to meet Onoki in the Land of Iron." the now-former Hokage reminded him. "I haven't had any kind of holiday in over a decade. Give an old man some time to relax and enjoy the scenery in his last mission for the village, hm?"

Jiraiya snorted in response. "Right, last mission," he chuckled in amusement. "I know you sensei, you'll be bored within the week and bugging Yuriko until she sends you off on some kind of mission."

Hiruzen huffed in response to his student's accusation. "I will do no such thing," he replied in a dignified manner. "Now I actually have time to work on some of my own personal projects and maybe even find a student who will _respect_ me as is proper."

The Toad Sage barked out a laugh in response. "Right, respect you, you mean like how I taught you my [ **Transparent Escape** ] jutsu so that you could do some peeping yourself?" he questioned tauntingly.

"Stubborn brat," the former kage scowled at his student good naturedly before a pop and a splash caught their attention.

"Got it!" Naruto announced, sounding pleased with himself, making Jiraiya look back at him in surprise.

"Already?" the man questioned. "It too me at least two weeks to get that part down."

Naruto grinned at him as he shook off his wet hand. "Nee-san had me working on Chakra control exercises since I was entered into the Academy," he stated proudly. "This is kinda like some of the ones she came up with to help me better my control."

Jiraiya blinked as he stared at Naruto, several things clicking into place in his mind. "Of course she would start you on it," he sighed in response before looking at his teacher. "Neither me nor him taught her how to use it, and yet she managed to reverse engineer the entire thing to teach him, that girl is such a genius it scares me."

Hiruzen chuckled in response. "Indeed, it is rather amazing her progress, especially when you consider, she didn't exactly have the training most Academy Students or even Genin have," he commented in amusement. "I hope you have the items for the second step of the jutsu."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes in response as he pulled a rubber ball out of a seal in his bag and tossed it to Naruto. "This step is similar to the first one, but you need to exert enough for to explode the rubber ball," he explained to the blond who was studying the ball. "This one is less about control and more about power, but you still need the multi-axis rotation of the first step to complete it properly."

Naruto nodded in consideration as he studied the ball in his hand for a few more moments before he began to channel his chakra through it.

"Hopefully that will keep him busy for a bit longer this time," Jiraiya sighed as he scratched his scalp.

Hiruzen chuckled a bit as they started walking again. "He is rather quick on the uptake, is he not?" he agreed proudly. "You know, if you didn't, I would have been tempted to claim him as my own apprentice."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at his sensei. "Now there's a scary thought, an Uzumaki Jinchuriki being trained by _two '_ God's of Shinobi', I don't think the world would remain standing," he commented jokingly, drawing a laugh from his teacher.

"Indeed, but, I think I know of another who could benefit from my training, perhaps a little more than Naruto-kun would," the former Kage stated contemplatively.

"You mean that Sasuke kid, right?" Jiraiya grunted out in thought, drawing a nod from Hiruzen. "He is a cunning little bastard like you are, that's for sure."

"That he is," Hiruzen confirmed with a nod. "It should be interesting to see their development, because if I know Tsunade-chan, I know their teammate will catch her eye for certain."

"Perfect Control, an uncanny knack for Medical technique, an Eidetic Memory, yeah, she's a shoe in for Tsunade's dream apprentice," Jiraiya nodded in agreement, glancing over his shoulder as he heard a popping sound to see Naruto grimacing at the deflated ball in his hand and tossed him a new one. "Damn, Yuriko's really got an eye for talent."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "That she does, she'll do well in the seat, despite her misgivings about taking up the mantle," he sighed in contentment. "While Tsunade-chan would do a fine job when she got her act together, Yuriko-chan is the best choice for the hat by far, at least, until a certain someone is ready," he murmured, glancing back at the focused Naruto.

Jiraiya grinned in response. "On that, there is no doubt whatsoever," he agreed easily, making the two older shinobi laugh with each other in amusement.

* * *

"There is a problem with your plan, Leader-sama," Zetsu announced as he rose from the ground near the Rinnegan-bearing body of Yahiko.

"What is it, Zetsu," the Deva Path questioned, turning to look at the two-toned plant man.

"The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki has indeed left the village, but he is accompanied not by his team, but rather, Jiraiya of the Sannin and the Third Hokage," Zetsu reported cautiously, knowing that the temperament of Madara's tool to be… unstable at best.

"This… is not good," the body finally replied after several moments.

Had it either been one, or the other, he would have still continued forward with his plan to capture the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki as soon as he left the village and hold him in Ame until it was time to extract the Kyuubi, but with _both_ of them, the Toad Sage and the Third Shinobi God together, the plan wouldn't work, not unless Akatsuki made more overt movements, like bringing more teams in to deal with the pair, but that would destroy any anonymity they had left.

Add to that the yet to be confirmed reports of Yuriko Uchiha knowing the Hiraishin, and that left them in an uncertain position as to the capture of the Kyuubi.

"Tell Konan to stand down," the corpse of Yahiko said, closing his eyes. "We shall put off capturing the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki for now, as it stands he is too well protected to capture without revealing ourselves and our intentions."

"Yes, Leader-sama," Zetsu replied before melting back into the ground.

"A smart move," a voice decreed nearby as the being calling themself Madara appeared from the shadows. "I just got back from looking into it, and it turns out, she _did_ learn the Hiraishin," he explained with a sigh. "And on top of that, she has claimed the title of 'God of Shinobi' for herself."

The Rinnegan-bearing corpse paused as it turned to face the masked man. "She has?" he questioned, a mix of apprehension and rage filling his voice, it wasn't the first time someone made a play for the title since Hiruzen Sarutobi's claim, but they each fell rather quickly and were killed, the only one who possibly came close was Hanzo the Salamander, but even he fell from a mixture of his own paranoia and Pein's might.

"And I doubt there are going to be many challengers to the title," the masked man confirmed. "Not once during the invasion did she use the Sharingan or any of its evolutions, even the Hiraishin was only used for an opening psychological attack. She is the Fourth 'God of Shinobi'."

Anger rippled through Pein's being as he glared at nothing in particular at the news. Despite his own power, he didn't wish to lay claim to the title of 'God of Shinobi' but he knew that he was a 'God' nonetheless, the fact that what he saw as a lesser being laying claim to the title rankled him fiercely. "Then when the time comes to make our move, I shall prove myself to the the _true_ God by slaying this false one," he announced. "In two years, when we start our attack, our first target shall be Konohagakure."

The masked man shrugged in response. "Fine, do as you wish," he commented, knowing there was no way to talk him out of it as the space around him began to twist. "Just to come crawling back to me when you lay broken and bleeding on the ground."

* * *

It had been a bad week for Tsunade Senju, not that she's had any good ones since leaving Konoha behind her, having to deal with debt collectors, Yakuza wishing to exploit her and the odd shinobi hoping to claim her bounty made sure of that.

But this week had been something special, with her losing almost everything with only Shizune's quick action of plying her medical skills to some influential people keeping them out of the red for travelling funds and having to dodge some rather persistent collectors that she just couldn't smash without drawing the ire of the local peacekeepers and guards, even if she was the famed 'Medical Princess'.

Although she has heard less and less people calling her that since the Kirigakure Rebellion came to a close with some even saying some other person surpassed her, not that she cared about it, not that she really cared about anything since the death of both her brother, Nawaki and her lover, Dan.

Which led to now, sitting at a Pachinko machine, slotting in coin after coin, trying to feel something other than the soul crushing sadness that chased after her every step that only the ever present Sake at her side helped keep at bay.

She was so lost in her own woes that she barely even registered with the flashing lights and cheery sounds that announced a grand prize winner, nor the excited sounds of Shizune next to her, holding their pet pig Tonton excitedly shouting out about clearing their debt away.

She lifted her sake jug to her lips to take a drink only to find it empty. "Come, Shizune," she announced. "We're going to the bar."

"Eh!? Huh!? Wait, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune requested panickly as she quickly collected their winnings and quickly caught up with her mentor, not that she taught much anymore, not like she had when they started out.

When they had started their journey, Tsunade had said it would only be for a few years, some time away from the memories, only… 'just one more year' kept coming out, and Tsunade's instructions had dropped slowly as she withdrew more and more into the bottle until, they just stopped with Shizune having to attempt to develop her own skills on her own.

And unlike Tsunade, she paid attention to the rumors. At first they started off as an Uchiha who was being compared to Tsunade in terms of medical skills, an up and coming, but, from there, things began to change, from her being almost as good as Tsunade, to some wondering she was better, and now, when people talked about medical ninja, it was Yuriko Uchiha who was touted as the best, not Tsunade.

Not that Shizune could blame them, as she followed after her 'teacher's' had rarely used any of her skills as a kunoichi or Med-nin save for her special Chakra Enhanced Strength Technique and a detoxifying jutsu that purged her body of any alcohol when she needed to be sober, unless she was very much down on her luck and needed to use them to earn some cash in between towns with banks. A small (very small) part of Shizune resented Tsunade for allowing her life to sink so low, but the rest of her knew that her mentor had lost two people that had meant the world to her and had lost her spirit as a result. It couldn't be helped.

They walked into the bar, and Shizune, who had her eyes closed as a sigh escaped her lips, was shocked as she bumped into the back of Tsunade who was frozen stiff.

"Eh? Tsunade-sama?" Shizune questioned as she looked around her mentor to see what caused her freeze, only for her eyes to widen in shock at the sight before her in a booth, with two pairs of eyes settling on the pair of them.

"Well, well, it certainly has been a while, hasn't it, Tsunade-chan," Hiruzen greeted warmly as he shifted slightly in his seat to make some room. "Come, sit, let's catch up." Despite his kind voice and welcoming demeanor, it was obvious, it wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.

Tsunade jerked slightly before stiffly moving to sit next to her teacher, Jiraiya making room for Shizune next to a blond genin that the pair hadn't noticed when they first entered.

He looked at the pair with curious blue eyes as he tilted his head, studying them for a moment before turning back to a scroll in his hand, that Shizune noted had a complex seal formula in it.

"W-What are you doing here… sensei?" Tsunade managed to get out, slowly recovering from her shock. "Shouldn't you be in Konoha?"

"Hmm, you haven't been keeping up with the news?" Hiruzen questioned with a smile as he gave a note to a passing waitress who quickly read it and nodded before bustling off. "I am retired now, I passed the hat off to our new Godaime."

Tsunade swallowed tightly, suddenly, her belief of Hokage's dying miserable deaths being challenged by the fact that one retired. "And.. why are you here, sensei?" she questioned again.

"I can't check in on my student?" Sarutobi questioned in reply as the waitress returned, bearing plates of food for them. "Thank you dear," he told the waitress with a smile before she hurried off to her next table. "And Tsunade, I must say, I am horribly disappointed," he announced casually as he began to eat, his demeanor changing completely from welcoming to commanding.

"W-what?" the medic-ninja stammered, her eyes wide as she remained frozen in her seat. "I…"

"Be quiet, and listen," Hiruzen said, causing Tsunade's mouth to click shut. "When I allowed you the travelling status, so that you may clear your mind, it was not an allowance to _ruin_ yourself and your reputation. I am so disappointed, I was hoping that the rumours I heard about you were just that, rumours, but seeing you now, I can tell that you haven't even _tried_ to deal with your grief."

Despite the fact that she was a ninja in her fifties, despite the fact that she was a proud and independent woman and despite the fact that she considered herself to be very cynical, these words from her sensei cut into Tsunade deeper and more profoundly than she could have imagined possible. Shame rose up in her for what had to be the first time in nearly a decade.

"It is time for you to come home," Hiruzen continued. "The Godaime has put an end to your travelling status, something that should have expired _years_ ago."

Tsunade swallowed in response. "And… what do they want from me?" she questioned nervously.

"She wants you to run the Hospital," Hiruzen explained. "And she also wants to work with you to develop the medic-ninja program that you wanted to introduce during the Third War."

That got Tsunade's attention as she looked at Hiruzen hopefully. "She does?" she questioned. "Wait… who _is_ the Godaime?"

"Yuriko Uchiha," her former teacher told her. "She was the only one I could trust to take up the mantle," he informed, giving her a significant look that cut deep into her. "Something she's grown to really dislike."

"Which is kind of ironic," Jiraiya commented, speaking for the first time since they arrived. "Since she was originally compared to you when she was starting out, now… they're comparing _you_ to _her_."

Tsunade's eyes snapped over to Jiraiya, her pride stinging in response to that. "What do you mean by _that_?" she demanded hotly.

"The fact that she has surpassed you," Jiraiya countered, meeting her glare evenly. "When was the last time you put in any effort in training, Tsunade-hime? I can answer that for you, you _haven't_. Yuriko, on the other hand...at no point does she not put her whole effort to train herself further."

Tsunade recoiled slightly from the accusation, her eyes falling to the blond genin, seeing another face overlaid over his own, hauntingly familiar face.

"Come home, Tsunade-chan," Hiruzen prompted gently. "The Yamanaka can help you move past your grief, and you can help a new generation learn the skills that can save them and their comrades."

Tsunade slumped a bit as she looked away from her teacher. "But…" she stammered out hesitantly.

"Tsunade-chan, would they really be happy, seeing you like this?" Hiruzen pressed. "Come home, let us help you."

The Slug Sannin let out a long, shuddering sigh as she nodded. "Okay," she relented, getting a smile from Hiruzen and Jiraiya while Shizune mentally cheered.

"Eat up," Hiruzen prompted gently. "We can rest here tonight, and head out tomorrow."

* * *

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto greeted as he entered the laboratory of his master. "I have found her, but… there is a complication."

Orochimaru turned his gaze to Kabuto, his serpentine eyes narrowing as he glared at his assistant. "And what, is this 'complication' Kabuto?" he hissed out angrily.

"Both Jiraiya and Sarutobi were with her," Kabuto countered with no sign of fear. "They were on the road that leads to Konoha, it looks like Tsunade of the Sannin is out of our reach."

A shout of rage filled the chamber as Orochimaru flung a jar of chemicals at a wall, the chemicals eating away at the brickwork as the splashed on it. "Again, again they _ruin_ my plans!" he hissed out. "First sensei, then that _woman_ killing over _three-quarters_ of my men, and now _this!_ "

' _It has more to do with the fact your reach was longer than your strength, Orochimaru-sama._ ' Kabuto thought as the Snake Sannin fumed. ' _You dismissed Yuriko Uchiha because you bested her with a trick, and look where it got you? I wonder if this will finally wake you up to the threat she poses or not…_ '

Orochimaru paused as a thought seemed to strike him. "Maybe, I just need more pawns," he murmured to himself. "Kabuto! I have a job for you."

' _Oh, this will be good,_ ' Kabuto sighed mentally as he prepared himself.

* * *

"Mama, look!" Madoka-chan called out to me from her little playpen nearby as she held up a picture for me to see. "It family!"

I smiled at my daughter from my desk as I looked her picture over, it wasn't anything spectacular, just a bunch of different colored stick figures, Sasuke and myself were represented with black crayon while Madoka-chan and Roshi were red, finally with Naruto as a yellow crayon. "It looks great, Madoka-chan!" I praised her, getting a happy smile and a giggle in response. "We'll have to show papa it when we get home!"

"'Kay~!" Madoka sang out happily as she went back to her playing, letting me turn back to my paperwork.

I had decided to set up a little playpen in the Kage's Office so that I could bring Madoka-chan with me occasionally, it was important that she knew I wanted to be with her, but I did tell her that she couldn't interrupt me when I was talking with someone while in the office.

A knock on the door, pulled our attention to it as Naruto-kun came strolling in with Jiraiya-sama, Hiruzen-sama, Tsunade and Shizune-san. "We're back, Nee-chan!" Naruto called out cheerfully, pulling a smile from me.

"Welcome back, Naruto-kun," I greeted.

"Nii-chan!" Madoka-chan called out happily, waving at Naruto-kun who went over and began playing with her.

I turned back my gaze to the others, smile still on my face. "Welcome home," I called out to them. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Tsunade-san."

"Hokage-sama," Tsunade replied stiffly, looking rather uncomfortable.

"Were there any complications, Hiruzen-sama, Jiraiya-sama?" I questioned, looking at the pair.

"Not really, but, we did catch a glimpse of Kabuto on our way back," Jiraiya reported, getting a scowl from me. After learning he attempted to abduct Madoka-chan during the invasion, I placed him even higher on my 'to kill' list, moving him up to just under Black Zetsu and above Obito. "He disengaged pretty quickly so we weren't able to chase him down."

I nodded my acceptance. "Right, I guess that means Orochimaru knows Tsunade-san is here now," I commented idly before shaking my head of those thoughts. "Tsunade-san, I take it they told you what I would like of you?"

Tsunade jerked her head briefly in a nod. "Yeah, taking over the hospital and setting up a Medic-nin program, right?" she questioned tersely.

I nodded in confirmation, noting how uncomfortable she seemed to be back in Konoha. "Yes, although, before that happens I would like you to speak with a Yamanaka," I told her firmly. "They can help you with your loss, and work through your mental state with you."

"Need to make sure I'm still loyal?" she questioned me bitterly.

"No," I replied shaking my head as she looked at me in surprise. "I believe you are still loyal, you wouldn't have returned if you weren't. I need you at your best, Tsunade-san, that includes mentally and emotionally, and you can't exactly do your job as a doctor with your haemophobia."

The sannin flinched in response. "Tsunade-san, it is normal to be traumatized from your experience," I told her firmly. "Just as it is normal to seek help with your trauma, you speaking with the Yamanaka isn't a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength."

Tsunade let out a sigh before nodding. "Fine, I'll talk to this head doctor," she relented.

"Thank you," I replied. "Your 'head doctor' as it were, will be Inoichi Yamanaka, he agreed to take the time to help you with your trauma."

Tsunade nodded stiffly in response as I turned my gaze to Shizune-san who stiffened as my gaze landed on her. "Hello Shizune-san. As I understand it, you have been learning under Tsunade-san while you were travelling, correct?" I questioned the girl who nodded quickly.

"Yes, I did, Hokage-sama!" she replied anxiously.

"I won't bite, Shizune-san," I told her humorously. "I believe you are not a certified shinobi, correct?" she nodded quickly, looking a bit ashamed. "Would you like to be a shinobi?"

Shizune blinked in response, her flush of embarrassment vanishing as she looked up at me. "Eh?" she stammered out for a moment. "Oh! Yes, yes I do!"

I nodded. "Alright, please see Aoichi-san in on the second floor, he will evaluate you and send the results to me to assign you a rank," I instructed her as I pulled out a paper and quickly wrote out some instructions on it. "Although I do have faith you are at least Chunin level, we must follow procedure on this. Once you are ranked, you will be going to the Hospital ahead of Tsunade-san and I would like you to start making notes about things that need improvement to your eyes or things that could be changed. Saya Takamachi will be the one to speak to in the hospital if you have any questions."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Shizune-san said gratefully as I handed her the page. "If you'll excuse me."

I nodded, allowing her to leave the room to speak with Aoichi-san.

"I better go and see to the state of the compound, I guess," Tsunade-san said with a small sigh.

"It shouldn't be too bad, I assigned a team to clean the compound last week, they reported their completion of the task yesterday," I told her. "Tsunade-san, it is good to have you home."

Tsunade blinked in surprise before sighed. "Thank you," she replied before leaving the office.

Slumping in my seat slightly once the door was closed, I eyed the two smirking men standing to one side and snorted. "She isn't going to like my opinions of her rules, is she?"

"She and you are both quite alike in being fairly hard-headed, Hokage-sama." Hiruzen told me. "A clash of personalities will be inevitable in this case."

"Lovely." I deadpanned. "Well, at least I can certify that you have indeed completed the mission. Well done, gentlemen."

The two chuckled in amusement at that as they relaxed. "What is next on the docket then?" Jiraiya questioned in amusement.

"Well, I do have something I would like you to look into, Jiraiya-sama," I told him, getting a raised eyebrow from the Sannin. "When you get a chance, can you look into the Nanabi Jinchuuriki? I haven't heard anything about her as of late, even though she is a registered shinobi of Takigakure, and that concerns me."

"You think it might be the Akatsuki making a move?" Jiraiya questioned solemnly.

"Maybe, I am not certain, hence, why I would like you to look into it," I told him, grimacing a bit.

"Huh, Kurama just said that Chomei is a loner," Naruto-kun commented from where he was playing with Madoka-chan. "The Nanabi, that is, he's saying she might just be wanting to be alone."

Jiraiya shrugged in response. "I got a few friends in Taki that I can reach out to," he said casually. "I was planning on making a little tour to check in with my contacts around anyways, so it wouldn't be too far out of that way."

My eyebrow rose as his gaze slid over to Naruto-kun. "That would be up to him," I told the Toad Sage straightly, getting a chuckle from him and a confused look from Naruto-kun. "He wants you to go with him," I clarified for my brother.

"Oh, um, what about Sasuke and Sakura though?" he questioned, grimacing a bit. "If I'm not around, they can't take missions, right?"

"Not necessarily," I reassured him. "There are a bunch of genin without teams who rotate between them, so they will still be under Kakashi, just with a third team member that rotates out."

"Plus, I was thinking of talking to Sasuke-kun about an apprenticeship under me if he was interested," Hiruzen-sama commented, getting a surprise look from me, chuckling as he winked at me.

"And Sakura-chan has been training plenty with Saya-san," I sighed, shaking my head. "But, even if you do go with Jiraiya, I would have the three of you take the next chunin exams in… Iwa, yeah Iwa is holding them next, together."

Naruto-kun hummed in thought as he considered it. "I guess," he sighed. "How long will we be gone for?"

"A few years at least," Jiraiya informed him. "But we won't leave right away, got some stuff to take care of here in Konoha first before we head out, so, you'll have your chance to say goodbye to everyone and take a few more missions with Kakashi and your team."

That put a smile on Naruto-kun's face as he nodded before looking to me. "Go ahead," I told him with a chuckle, jerking my head towards the window prompting a smile from him as he leapt out and made his way towards his friends.

With Naruto-kun gone, I turned my gaze towards the new notification popped up next to me.

* * *

 **Tsunade Senju successfully retrieved!  
50,000 EXP Gained!  
Tsunade Senju now resides within Konohagakure as a loyal shinobi!  
+100% Effectiveness from the Hospital  
Potential Medical Ninja Training now available.**

* * *

I dismissed the pop-up and turned to the other two. "What do you think Orochimaru is going to do now that he's failed again?" I questioned them carefully.

The two shared a look and grimace. "One of two things," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "Either lash out at us in anger, or go to ground and start scheming."

I sighed in response as I leaned back. Unfortunately Orochimaru's bases are spread out all over the continent, with no singular location he regularly visited that we were aware of, so taking the fight to him was out of the question. "Damn," I grunted in frustration.

"One possible item we could consider is dealing with the bases we know about in the Land of Rice Paddies, I suppose, but it's doubtful that they're anything more than traps." Hiruzen said unhappily.

I nodded in agreement. "Alright, keep your ear to the ground then," I told Jiraiya. "He may be looking for more allies after all of his losses here," I paused for a moment in thought. "Land of Rice Paddies, isn't that where the Fuhma Clan lives? The chakra thread specialists?"

Jiraiya nodded in confirmation. "They are, you think he might be looking to recruit them?" he questioned.

"Possibly, but if what you told me before was correct his current body also should be reaching its limit, correct?" I suggested.

"That is true, I'll take a look into it when we leave," Jiraiya confirmed with a nod.

"I'll send a squad of ANBU to support you for this mission," I told him, meeting his gaze firmly. "If they need it, offer them sanctuary here in Konoha."

Jiraiya nodded again in confirmation. "Will do," he said confidently. "Anything else?"

I shook my head in response. "No, not at this time," I told him, sighing as I leaned back into my chair and sent a playful glare to Hiruzen-sama. "I'm still upset with you shoving this job into my lap."

Hiruzen-sama laughed in amusement to my statement as he relaxed on a couch. "Oh don't worry Yuriko-chan, you're still in the easy part of the job," he teased me getting a grumble out of me as I looked at the papers I had to deal with. "Screw it," I sighed and formed a Shadow Clone to start working on them as I played with Madoka-chan, remaining in the room, because even if the clone could do everything I could, it still wasn't 'me'.

* * *

Tsunade sighed as she looked out of the window of the sitting room of the main building inside of the Senju compound, a small saucer of Sake in her hand. "I still can't believe that I'm home," she murmured more to herself, than to Shizune who was sitting next to her, writing into a notebook.

Even if it wasn't spoken directly to her assistant, the girl still heard her clearly. "I will be honest Tsunade-sama, I am glad to be home," the dark haired medic told her. "And, even if you don't see it yet, Tsunade-sama, it will be good for you to be here."

Tsunade turned to look at her student with a raised eyebrow. "And why is that, all that is here is painful memories and death," she muttered out bitterly.

"True, they are here, but, there is also good memories, I remember some of the stories you used to tell me of Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru when you three were still a team under Sarutobi-sama," Shizune countered. "Plus, with you here and if you teach more future medical ninja, then there will be less people dying as a result."

Tsunade lowered her head a bit in response. "Who knows," she muttered out finally, taking a sip of her sake, glancing at Shizune from the corner of her eye. "How did your test go?"

Shizune smiled brightly in response. "Hokage-sama told me that with my results I was to be inducted as a Special Jonin," she explained. "She wants me to go on a few missions and gain some experience before she fully promotes me to jonin."

"She did, huh?" Tsunade commented, glaring at the cup in her hand.

"Tsunade-sama, is there something wrong?" Shizune questioned nervously.

"Nothing," the sannin replied, knocking the sake back. "I'm going to bed."

"Eh? Oh, goodnight then, Tsunade-sama," Shizune called out after her.

Shizune sighed as she looked down at Tonton next to her. "I really hope Inoichi-sama can help her," she admitted to the pig who oinked at her in response, butting up against her comfortingly. "I want the Tsunade-sama that I remember back, not the drunk that's driving her body."

Unknown to the black haired kunoichi, Tsunade was paused outside of the door to the room, a frown on her face as she heard Shizune's admission before silently stepping away towards her room. "Shizune…" she murmured out as she walked.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 105  
 **EXP** : 96,582/650,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Godaime Hokage (+100% Reputation with allied Shinobi, Command of Konohagakure Shinobi, you can 25% of experience given out for missions completed by loyal shinobi)  
 **Secondary Title:** God of Shinobi (+50% to all stats +100% Reputation with all allied Shinobi +10% Damage with all ninja arts. Skill [Aura of Absolute Command] active)  
 **Fated Title:** Fatechanger (+100% to all stats.) **  
STATS  
HP - **20,025 **  
CP -** 95,800  
 **STR -** 120 (300) **  
INT -** 160 (400) **  
DEX -** 200 (500) **  
VIT -** 120 (300) **  
WIS -** 160 (400) **  
LUK -** 55 (137)  
 **Ryo** \- 342,761,998


	37. Chapter 33: Laying down the Law

I let out a small sigh as I looked over a report from ANBU about Orochimaru's possible movements that had arrived on my desk overnight, the report detailing some odd happenings going on within the Land of Sea, most likely the same thing that happened in the 'filler' of the show and made a note for ANBU to investigate it further.

A knock on the door drew my attention away from the report. "Enter," I called out to the knockee.

"Hokage-sama," Inoichi greeted with a smile as he entered the room, respectfully closing the door behind him as he entered. "I'm here with a report on Tsunade-sama's progress."

I blinked before nodding, setting the report aside before activating the soundproofing and anti-surveillance seals built within the walls. "So, how bad is the damage?" I questioned preparing myself mentally for the report.

"Well, like with all psychological issues, there is never going to be a _complete_ cure," he reminded me, pulling out a notepad and flipped it open. "It will take months of therapy before I think she'll be ready to operate on someone without flinching from the blood, and dealing with her issues of loss will take even longer, but her mental foundations, while eroded from years of alcoholism and gambling addictions, are still stable enough for her to eventually be able to return to active duty if she wishes to."

I nodded slowly in response. "And what is it you have told her?" I prompted him to continue.

"I told her she is going to have to stop drinking if she wishes for any real progress with therapy," Inoichi replied with a shake of her head. "As you would expect, she was not very open to that. Even if she is a medical genius, addictions are hard things to kick. But, she didn't deny it outright so I will take a victory where I can."

I let out a sigh as I rubbed my face, there definitely several options with shinobi that ended up like Tsunade, leaving aside the 'Therapy Jutsu' that Naruto-kun had used on her in the original timeline. The first, and easiest, is to remove her from the corps and disavow her as a Konoha Shinobi, even with the political fallout, it would still be the easiest option as it would allow them to place specially designed seals to keep her from working with any enemies of Konoha. But, it was also a waste of potential resources that she could bring forth, such as her medical knowledge and skill.

Second was a rather… brutal method. We could essentially break down every bit that was 'Tsunade Senju' until only a shell remained and rebuild the remains into a loyal shinobi of Konoha. Pretty much what Danzo did in ROOT, and with certain individuals, such as useful psychopaths or sociopaths. The issue with _that_ plan would be the loss of what made Tsunade such a brilliant medic in the first place, and her ability to do anything but fighting or healing, including teaching. Not to mention it would devastate Hiruzen-sama and Jiraiya-sama to see her in such a state as well.

Finally, there was the most time extensive option, but also the most humane option: putting her through therapy, which wasn't a guarantee that it would work, after all, therapy was a two way street, the therapist could do all they can do, but if the patient didn't make the effort to follow through, than nothing would change. But, hey, wouldn't be the first long shot gamble I made. "Keep it up with the therapy," I told him. "Remind her that if she really does want to take charge of the hospital and start training medical ninja that she _will_ have to drop her drinking, I will _not_ have a drunk ruining either the place where we recover and mend our injured, or ruining the people who do so."

Inoichi nodded. "As you wish, Hokage-sama," he replied easily. "I'll do my level best to make sure she'll get on the right track."

"Thank you, Inoichi," I told him gratefully as I dropped the seals. "Here's hoping she follows through with it."

Inoichi nodded with a smile as he left the office, stepping to the side as Jiraiya strolled in as soon as he opened the door.

"Hello, Jiraiya-sama," I greeted him with a smile as the sannin walked in, Inochi excusing himself. "How did things go?"

"Fair to middling." the Toad Sage sighed as he leaned against the wall next to the windows. "On the plus-side, all of Orochimaru's bases in the Land of Rice Paddies, including the one used as the 'official' base for Otogakure, have been destroyed and all the shinobi who were manning them are either dead or captured. The Fuhma Clan of the Land of Rice Paddies has also come along."

"That is good news." I nodded. "That's on the plus side...what about the negative side?"

"I had to kill the next heir to the Fuhma Clan, Arashi, who had gone mad and used one of Orochimaru's crazy kinjutsu to merge with two of his dead subordinates." Jiraiya-sama answered heavily. Although he had, like me, walked through an ocean of blood in his time as shinobi, that didn't mean he liked to kill. "The new Heir...or rather, _Heiress_ is a girl called Sasame and she's pretty down in the dumps about it because Arashi was her cousin. She also refuses to talk to me unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Understandable." I sighed. Sasame had been inconsolable in the anime, but hadn't blamed Naruto-kun for it. "Have her sent to me at some point so I can explain things to her and maybe introduce her to Naruto-kun. She could use a friend. Anything else on the bad news front?"

"All of the bases were abandoned." the old ninja said grimly. "For all intents and purposes, Orochimaru left the lower-ranking Otogakure personnel to whatever fate we chose do deal out. He took all of his experiments, higher-ranking personnel and his notes and fled. Looks as if it happened right about the same time the Invasion happened, maybe a couple of days afterwards at most."

"As cautious and sneaky as ever." I grumbled. "Well it _was_ a longshot, after all, so eliminating those bases will prevent him from reusing them in the long run at least. Good work, Jiraiya-sama. How many Fuhma Clan members came along?"

"Everyone that was left in the clan, so about...seventy-five or so." the Toad Sage rubbed his headband thoughtfully. "Plus a few former Otogakure members who had become Missing Ninja and had joined up with the Fuhma. That makes it almost ninety."

 _That_ made my eyebrows shoot up. The only Fuhma Clan members that I had seen in the original timeline had been the bandit-faction and the four idiots who had been the most powerful members of the clan and had been tricked by Orochimaru. That had been less than twenty people. I guess I'd never seen the noncombatants though, so that might account for it.

"Have their leader sent to see me at some point and we'll thrash out an agreement for the integration of the Fuhma into the Shinobi Forces and assign them housing in the Clan Residential district." I said, internally wincing at the paperwork I had just landed myself.

"I can see some of the Clans grumbling about that." Jiraiya-sama observed.

"Mostly the ones who are smaller than the Fuhma." I snorted. "They may not be the Clan that invented the Fuhma Shuriken, but tell me Jiraiya-sama...did you have to put effort into fighting Arashi and the other members of the Fuhma that were Orochimaru's supporters?"

"Yep. That [ **Curse Mandala Jutsu** ] of theirs that Arashi used was a pain in the butt to get out of." Jiraiya snorted. "If I hadn't been warned about it by Hanzaki, it may have come close to killing me. One of them, who I saved using some nifty medical jutsu that Tsunade-hime taught me, has a technique called [ **Antlion Ninja Arts: Ephemeral** ]. It's definitely a Kinjutsu due to the fact that the user is on the edge of death after using it, but it had me on the ropes for a few minutes. Add in the supplementary techniques that they used to track me down and throw in some remedial lessons in using the Academy Three and I think they'd be very formidable."

"There you have it. Any clan that can train a member or members that makes one of the _Sannin_ take them even slightly seriously is an asset to Konoha." I said firmly. "More strength for Konoha, a safe harbour for the Fuhma Clan and less power for Orochimaru. Win-Win-Win, I say."

"I agree." the old shinobi grinned before becoming serious. "What did Inoichi have to say about Tsunade?"

"That she needs to cut back on the booze." I said bluntly. "She's using it as a crutch to numb herself against the pain. As long as she's using that, she won't try to move forward. A few cups is fine, but drinking several _jugs_ a night is ridiculous. Any kind of persuasive power you can bring to bear would be appreciated, Jiraiya-sama."

"For all the good it'll do, I try." the Toad Sage snorted. "Tsunade's always marched to her own drummer, going her way or no way. Getting sensei to talk to her would help more."

"I don't want to impose on Hiruzen-sama. He's retired, for the _second_ time, and he deserves some peace and quiet." I said firmly. "He's already doing some major good by taking Sasuke-kun as an apprentice and I don't want to push him on that. The Leaf owes him too much for me to impose on him."

Seriously, he'd led Konoha through the second half of the Second Great Shinobi War after the death of the Second Hokage, the entirety of the Third Great Shinobi War, and all the years of peace between and since, aside from the few, too short, years of his successor, Minato-sama. Onoki had reigned for longer, but the sheer level of respect and practical worship that the citizens of Konoha had for Hiruzen-sama was incredible.

Add in my own level of respect for him, led me to the decision that Hiruzen-sama's retirement was to be a permanent one. Although, there was also a medical reason for my decision to ensure his retirement was a permanent one.

He was old, plain and simple, one of the oldest Shinobi around, he was nearly seventy years old, and his use of chakra, while mitigated by advances with medical techniques, still took their toll on him. While he still had at least a decade left in him, if he kept to his retirement, pushing himself further would only shorten that timespan.

He deserved his retirement, something that he never got a chance to do in canon.

Shaking my head I let out a small sigh. "But, if the two _do_ end up crossing paths in the village and talking, not like I can stop them," I commented with a wry grin, getting a chuckle out of the sannin.

"Thank you for taking care of the investigation for me," I told him gratefully smiling at the sannin. "That was the only matter that I needed your help with for the time being."

"Glad to be of help. Now then…" the Toad Sage's face turned somewhat lecherous. "Time to get down to doing my research!"

Rolling my eyes at the older man's bad habits, I waved him out.

Chuckling slightly to myself I leaned back into my seat, despite my complaints when it was first brought up, I was getting used to being the Hokage. In the end, it really wasn't that different from running a clan, just a larger scale in comparison.

And now… we were reaching to point of the time skip from the original series to the 'Shippuden' series. Which also means that Akatsuki was going to start making moves soon enough.

With that in mind I stood up. "Chika-chan, anything else on the planner for today?" I questioned my teammate who poked her head in the room in response.

"Nothing else major," she informed with a shrug. "Going to do some training?"

"Yeah, drop the Kunai if something comes up," I confirmed with a nod.

"Will do, good luck!"

With a flash, I vanished to the training grounds.

Letting out a sigh I looked around and looked at a training ground that had opened up after becoming the Hokage.

* * *

 **Training Ground XX  
HOKAGE USE ONLY**

 **LVL REQUIREMENT: 90+  
**

 **This Training Field contains numerous Chakra Mutated Creatures vying for dominance, be warned, when entered, you life** _ **will**_ **be at risk.**

 **Are you sure you wish to enter?  
Y/N**

* * *

I took in a careful breath as I began mentally bracing myself, this was not my first time entering this training ground, and honestly, calling it a warzone would be sugar coating it, the training ground was _warped_ by the chakra of the beasts within it, hell, there were even some places where gravity just _didn't_ work.

And said beasts… well… they were no joke. If the seals that held them within the training ground were to somehow fail - which shouldn't be possible considering the seals themselves are within a sub-dimensional pocket - than they stood a strong chance of levelling Konoha as they continued to fight each other.

While they weren't on the level of the Bijuu… it was a damn near thing.

Hitting the Y, I was brought into a desolate wasteland as was immediately forced to dodge out of the way of a bolt of lightning as a massive beast with short, bristling purple fur, looking like it was nothing but pure muscle and rage with two massive horns roared out in the face of a white, insectile dragon-like creature that let out a stream of white fire like chakra in response to the roar.

* * *

 **Behemoth - The Apocalyptic Beast  
HP:** 900,000  
 **CP:** 100,000

 **Xeno'jiva - The Newborn Elder  
HP:** 750,000  
 **CP:** 250,000

* * *

"Fuck," I mumbled as I flicked a tri-pronged kunai a good distance away before triggering Hiraishin as the two beasts began to clash against one another.

Looking around I could see my target goal in the distance, a massive crystalline outcropping in the distance. I had no idea if the 'area boss' was around it, but hey, worth checking out.

A shadow appeared overhead as I let out a groan. Of course, big purple rage beast decided to fuck everything and summon a meteor to wreak everyone's day.

My power surged as I felt my chakra ripple, opening my eyes I looked up at the meteor and held out a hand towards it. "[ **Shinra Tensei (Heavenly Subjugation of the Omnipresent God)** ]!" My chakra rippled before surging out into the meteor, the ball of rock crushing beneath the power of my Rinnegan, reducing it to mere rubble as the two creatures turned their attention to me.

Oh… shoulda thought that one through as they now perceived me as another threat to the territory they were fighting over.

Letting out a sigh as I dodged out of the way of a blast of lightning from the Behemoth I quickly lashed out with my Kodachi, cutting across the snout of the Xeno'jiva as it moved to bite down on me.

In any other place, I would have assumed _either_ of these two to be the area boss, but… well… the thing was, they weren't. Despite their ridiculous strength, neither of them were the Area Boss.

Letting out a tsk I moved as the Xeno'jiva blasted at me with it's beam attack before summoning a spike of earth under it, spearing it in the gut as it was sent reeling from the attack, the Behemoth moving in to try and grab at me while I was distracted only for my Kodachi to light up with [ **Chakra Flow: Chakra Scalpel** ] as I slashed out at him, cutting through the muscles in its paw.

The Behemoth howled in pain and rage as it recoiled, glaring balefully at me as a wind began to pick up around me. I let my power shift as I brought forth a different 'path' before my arm seemed to shift and change, forming a barrel as mechanical parts appeared in my body as the Asura Path flowed through my body. Moving out of the way of the tornado that was forming, I fired the [ **Asura Attack** ] through the neck of the Behemoth, cutting it clean off with shocking ease.

Blinking, I switched the 'path' filling my body as I made a trio of hand seals. "[ **Summoning Rinnegan** ]!" I placed a hand on the ground as a plume of smoke erupted around me. And then the Xeno'jiva found itself being charged by a large two-headed dog with the purple-eyes of the Rinnegan and black rods embedded in its body.

The beast snarled as it began chomping on one of the wings of the insectile dragon, tearing into the thin membrane of the wings as the Xeno'jiva roared in pain before blasting out with it's beam, slicing it's way down the dog's body, splitting it in two, causing it to slump a bit before the point where it had been split and quickly grew out in a rapid regeneration, leaving _two_ dogs standing there, hale and hearty.

The Xeno'jiva roared out in confusion as it tried to make some distance by flapping its wings, only for the tattered remains of its wings to spasm painfully as the two dogs leapt on it, dragging it to the ground as they savagely began ripping into the dragon as it let out one final shriek before it was silenced.

Once the beast was dead, I dismissed the two dogs back to the summon realm as I turned away and began walking, checking the notification as I moved.

* * *

 **You have defeated Behemoth and Xeno'jiva  
93,000 Exp gained  
Behemoth Horns and Xeno'jiva hide looted and stored in the Inventory**

* * *

Closing the window, I continued to move towards the center of the area, doing my best to skirt the various territorial disputes going on with the denizens. My first trip into this training zone had been one giant wakeup call, given that I nearly died several times to the always fighting creatures.

Each and every one of them was an alpha predator worthy enough to be an Area Boss in almost any possible dungeon and field dungeon in the world. All of them possessed strength enough that any one of them could likely give any Boss Summon a run for its money.

Makes me wonder how strong the area boss was, considering _all_ of the creatures avoided the central area like one would avoid the plague.

I paused as suddenly, I felt a small tremor ran through the earth beneath my feet. A tremor that was repeated after a couple of seconds. Looking around for the sourse, I sent a pulse of chakra through the grounds, sensing for the origin of the disturbances my gaze turned to the mass of crystal in the center of the of the training ground.

My eyes widened as the crystal began to shift and move.

"That… is _not_ a mountain," I stated to myself in a shocked tone as it began to rise, a pair of downright _massive_ wings spreading out as an ear piercing roar was let loose, forcing me to cover my ears from the sheer pitch of it, even at the distance I was away from it.

* * *

 **Emperor of Beasts  
The Silver Dragon-God  
Kur-Rash**

 **HP: 2,000,000  
CP: 1,500,000**

* * *

"By the Kami…" I breathed out as the beast flapped its wings, nearly knocking me over from the rush of air rushing towards me from the mere act. "How did they even _seal_ something like that?"

I quickly activated my [ **Sharingan** ] to get a better look at the creature, memorizing it's entire appearance. Appearance wise, the entire creature took the form of a dragon with the clear, silver light pulsing out of the crystals as they jutted out at odd angles from all across its body pushing through the silvery scales that covered it.

I could see [ **Kur-Rash** ] looking around briefly before it's startling blue eyes settled on me as they narrowed. Welp, no hiding from this fight it looks like.

Blinking I felt the familiar rush of power fill me as I activated my [ **Rinnegan** ] once more. Reaching out with my chakra, several new presences appeared around me as I activated [ **Yomotsu-hisame (Eight Hags of the Underworld)** ] and summoned versions of myself from seconds within the past.

Out of every power that my [ **Rinnegan** ] gave me, or even any other ability I have, _this_ was my most useful technique, as the 'Yurikos' I summoned didn't disappear after a single hit, had access to my full power when I summoned them, they could each use a different 'Path' of the [ **Rinnegan** ], not to mention allowed for us to share our vision.

We didn't even glance at one another as we charged forward, each of us knowing our own roles as Kur-Rash roared at us, volume deafening us for a bit as he took flight, the wind produced from the flaps of his wings halted our movement for a moment as he gained altitude.

My Animal Path quickly formed a set of seals before summoning the [ **Rinnegan Crow** ], a massive three legged crow with a pitch black coloration and flames leaking from it's mouth as the group of us jumped onto it's back as it took to the air after Kur-Rash.

Next to me, the Asura Path formed her arm into a large mechanical chakra cannon as she began to aim at the dragon before firing a massive beam of chakra.

We easily tracked its progress, seconds before one of the crystals on its body lit up and began absorbing the chakra at an insane rate.

"How troublesome." the Asura path stated with a frown.

"Indeed, is there a limit?" the Animal path questioned.

"Perhaps, might be best to avoid or break the crystals." the Petra path suggested.

"Test the theory," I commanded as I used the Deva path to begin levitating in the air. "Use elemental chakra to see if it has any effect."

"Understood," the Outer path nodded in agreement as she began to form handseals. "[ **Fire Release: Hellfire Inferno!** ]"

We all watched the effects of the fire on Kur-Rash, somewhat effective it seems, as it absorbed some of the chakra, but most of the flames left scorch marks on the scales surrounding the crystal, its HP only being whittled down by a measly dozen.

"Minimal damage," the Preta Path reported.

"We will need to seperate to ensure we all don't get taken out," Asura path pointed out.

"Jump onto Kur-Rash," Animal Path instructed. "I will catch those who fall."

"Setting up Hiraishin kunai," Human Path informed us as she began to pull out the tri-pronged kunai.

"Boarding Kur-Rash," Naraka Path called out as she leapt out onto the body of the Dragon, managing to keep stable footing on the scales without her chakra being absorbed, different paths jumping onto different parts of its body.

The dragon roared in response as it began to buck and rock, trying to knock the paths off its body as they tried to break past the dragon's scales, but the beast's scales were far tougher than even chakra reinforced steel.

"Its defenses are resilient to physical attacks as well."

"Our chakra scalpel is unable to pierce past its scales in addition."

A sigh escaped my lips as I heard their reports. "Clear off the body," I announced. "I will attempt to force it to the ground."

The other paths vanished back onto the summoned bird as Kur-Rash spun in a final attempt to knock them off its back as I gather my chakra. "[ **Shinra Tensei (Heavenly Subjugation of the Omnipresent God)** ]!" I roared out as I channeled a large amount of my chakra into the technique, the gravity force slamming into Kur-Rash hard enough to shake him as I continued to push more chakra into the Deva Path and its unique technique.

The dragon roared as it forced its head towards me before inhaling, my teeth gritting as I realized it was about to expel its chakra beam at me, only for one of my hiraishin kunai to appear before me as the Preta Path appeared in front of me thrusting their hands out to absorb the chakra from the dragon's chakra beam.

The path was able to absorb a part of the beam before it's body began to burn and was wiped away from existence, but it bought enough time for me to teleport out of the way.

Panting a bit I looked down at Kur-Rash who was looking back at me with baleful eyes as it flapped its wings to regain the altitude it lost.

Using my [ **Yomotsu-hisame (Eight Hags of the Underworld)** ] once again to summon a new Preta Path back on the Animal Path's Crow.

"HP has barely dropped," the Asura Path commented with an annoyed tone.

"Same with the CP," the Human Path added.

"Looks like we're in for the long haul with this one," I said with a sigh. "Continue with actions, we can't run now…"

* * *

Kur-Rash roared in anger as it was smashed into the ground by another [ **Shinra Tensei (Heavenly Subjugation of the Omnipresent God)** ], I was panting as it crashed, my Paths quickly moving in on the ground to attack the dragon whose wings were battered and broken.

It had taken me at _least_ 24 hours to get to this point, and he was still around 1 million points of health.

A rumbling sound came from the dragon as it swept its tail around, forcing my paths to back away from it or get smashed. "By the Kami…" I panted out. "What does it take to kill you?"

There was another similar rumbling sound as Kur-Rash turned its gaze to look up at me with a grin on its face, making me realize that it was _laughing_ at me.

My teeth gritting together in anger at the fact that this overgrown _lizard_ was _laughing_ at me. "Oh go _fuck_ yourself!" I cursed it as I placed my hands together and began channeling yin and yang chakra together the other paths eyes widening in shock as they quickly made some more distance from the dragon. "[ **Yin-Yang Release: Annihilation of the Heavens** ]!" I shouted out angrily as a ball of black chakra formed in front of me before it cracked on the surface facing Kur-Rash before blasting out in a beam of chakra that slammed into Kur-Rash, making the Dragon roar out in pain as it was thrown to the ground once again.

The Preta Path appeared behind me with a quick teleport before pulling us both to the ground before I completely collapsed. Once we were on the ground, the Path started channeling chakra into my body to restore my depleted reserves.

"That injured him more," Asura Path noted.

"Can't continue with that attack however," Human Path grimaced.

"What else can we use?" Animal Path questioned.

"One more thing," I stated as I stood up, the ground rumbling as the dragon began to rise up as well, a massive amount of scarring on its face as it turned to glare at us. "Buy time, I will begin using [ **Chibaku Tensei (** **Heavenly Body Bursting from the Earth** **)** ]."

The Paths looked at each other before nodding in unison. "That will work," they agreed.

"[ **Rinnegan Summoning** ]," the Animal path summoned forth a massive white Tiger with black stripes along its body that immediately began to charge Kur-Rash who let out a deafening roar in challenge to the creature.

I closed my eyes as I began to channel chakra between my hands, condensing the gravity in the area into a small singular point as a black sphere began to form.

Asura Path leapt off of the back of the summoned tiger as both of her arms began to shift into enlarged cannons while Preta path had her hands on the Asura Path's back. The blast from the combined Paths carved into the ground before slamming into the flank of Kur-Rash, knocking it off balance enough for the tiger to pounce, clamping it's jaws around the dragon's neck.

My focus was absolute, as I continued to channel chakra into the sphere before me, the gravity within the sphere growing denser and denser as I began to aim it above Kur-Rash.

The Human Path appeared on the opposite side of the dragon of the Asura and Preta Paths, forming several hand seals before slamming her hands into the ground. "[ **Earth Release: Grand Tectonic Movement** ]!" she declared before the area around Kur-Rash began to splinter and rock, throwing the dragon further off balance as it was pitched onto its side, the Human Path teleporting out of the way before she was crushed underneath.

Denser, the gravity within the sphere had to be denser or Kur-Rash would never be caught up within it, the aim had to be perfect.

"[ **Earth Release: Stone Prison** ]!" the Outer and Naraka Paths shouted in unison as stone chains erupted from the ground, wrapping themselves around the dragon before thick bars of stone rose up and closed themselves over top of the dragon.

A rumbling was heard before the dragon unleashed a violent roar into the air, actually sending the tiger on its throat and the chains around its body to go flying from the sheer pressure produced from the roar. It's tail then lashed out around itself, smashing through the stone bars as it turned its gaze to the Paths around it as it inhaled.

The blast of chakra it exhaled was unlike any that were seen before, blinding a couple of the Paths from its brilliance shortly before it wiped them from the face of existence with only the Asura and Outer Paths managing to escape in time.

It was ready. "[ **Chibaku Tensei (** **Heavenly Body Bursting from the Earth** **)** ]!" I announced as the sphere of gravity was launched above the dragon, Kur-Rash's eyes following it for a moment dismissively before they widened in shock at the sight of the sphere as the chakra casing containing it dissolved.

The entire training ground rocked in protest before _everything_ began to get lifted into the sphere, Kur-Rash roaring as it struggled against it, the only thing keeping me and my remaining two paths on the ground was the fact that I was using a part of my power to produce a gravity field around us as the rest of the training ground was slowly being lifted and pulled to the sphere.

Several of the creatures nearby being pulled along with Kur-Rash as it flapped its broken wings in an attempt to break free of the technique, several large boulders slamming into its body forcing it off balance and sending it closer towards the sphere.

The two remaining paths shared a look before nodding, dashing out of the protective circle to allow themselves to be caught up in the gravity, aiming themselves at Kur-Rash.

Chakra flared through their bodies as they enhanced themselves beyond my own limits, uncaring of any injuries they gained as a result, overcharging the jutsu they were channeling.

"[ **Earth Release: Earth Dragon Devastation** ]"

"[ **Fire Release: Great Flame Dragon Extermination** ]"

The two jutsus launched at Kur-Rash, taking the form of eastern dragons with serpentine bodies wrapped around the dragon as it fought against the techniques as my remaining two paths faded.

The final nail in Kur-Rash's coffin was when it impacted against the dense sphere of gravity, the beast roaring as it began to be buried in the rubbed flying at the sphere, growing in size before a moon size rock with an entrapped Kur-Rash as it's core floated above me.

Letting one last gasp, I release the technique, feeling myself stagger from chakra exhaustion as I suddenly found myself back at the entrance to the training grounds with a pop-up before me.

* * *

 **Congratulations, you have defeated Kur-Rash in the Final Training Ground!  
500,000 Exp Gained  
5x Pure Chakra Crystals, 3x Kur-Rash Scales, 2x Kur-Rash bones and 4x Kur-Rash fangs looted and stored within your inventory.**

 **For defeating Kur-Rash you have been granted a one-time use summoning scroll to summon Kur-Rash to fight by your side in battle!**

 **You have gained a level!**

* * *

Well… fuck that was actually useful.

I blinked at the popup for a moment before a chuckled overcame me, one that quickly dissolved into laughter as I shook my head and looked up at the sky, seeing the sun had only moved a little bit from it's position when I left.

 **Just so you are aware, time** _ **is**_ **accelerated within that training ground, it had to be for that boss fight.**

I snorted in response. "Thanks," I told my friend as I began to make my way home, my body stiff and sore from over 24 hours of constant fighting against a goddamn dragon the size of a mountain.

Upside though, I now had the perfect weapon again Madara, other than myself.

Let's see you top _this_ Madara!

* * *

"Hey, Tsunade-san is looking to speak with you, Yuriko." Aoi called out to me as he entered my office.

Looking up, I raised an eyebrow at my teammate. "Yeah? What is she looking to speak with me about?" I asked him.

Aoi shrugged in response. "Something about the changes you made to the medic-nin curriculum for the Academy," he replied casually. "She looked pissed about it too."

I let out a sigh as I rubbed my forehead. I _knew_ this was coming, and I _still_ wasn't looking forward to it. "Alright, let her in," I told him. "Before she decides to just smash my door down."

Aoi snorted in response. "Alright, good luck," he replied before stepping out of the room, the stomping feet of Tsunade heard soon after as she stormed into my office.

"What the hell is the meaning of this!?" she shouted at me angrily.

I met her angry gaze with an impassive one as I quickly took in the person who _could_ have been the fifth Hokage and found her looking far healthier than when I had last seen her, it seemed that she was keeping to her sobriety plan, which was good.

"And by this, I assume you mean my removal of your 'rules' to the lessons?" I questioned evenly in response.

"Of course! Are you _wanting_ all your medics to be killed!" Tsunade demanded of me with an angry scowl as she slammed her hands on my desk, my eyes flicking to the cracks that formed in the wood.

"Do be careful of the desk," I noted before meeting her gaze as she fumed even more. "Tsunade-san, while your 'rules' would work with support medics, not every medic is a support medic, _especially_ when only a _handful_ every generation can meet your exacting requirements for the [ **Creation Rebirth - Strength of a Hundred** ] technique, which is one of your little rules if memory serves; 'Only one who has mastered this jutsu may ignore the three preceeding rules' isn't it?"

"Because if they don't, then how can they heal their allies if they're dead!" Tsunade retorted angrily.

"How can we heal our allies if our allies are dead from our inaction?" I countered, my eyes flashing with anger for the first time before I calmed myself. "Sometimes, the best way to heal our allies is by ensuring that they don't _need_ to be healed in the first place!"

The two of us glared at each other for several moments. "Tsunade-san, there is a _reason_ we medics have developed our own taijutsu. If we medics aren't to fight then why even bother learning _how_ to in the first place," I questioned evenly. "Not all of us believe that your way is the best way, hence why your _rules_ ," I spat the word out with a scowl. "That _you_ decided on _yourself_ with _no_ input from _anyone else_ , are best suited for the support medics who are regulated to the rear lines."

"How dare you!" Tsunade growled angrily as she pressed down on my desk, leaning in an attempt to intimidate me.

"How dare _you_!" I countered back with a scowl of my own as I rose up to meet her gaze.

Okay… how did it come to this? I asked myself as I found myself in a standard training ground, across from Tsunade who was cracking her knuckles in preparation for our bout.

Oh yeah… we're both stubborn, quick to anger and have temper issues.

I let out a small sigh as I took up a stance, not really seeing a need to draw my sword or use my sharingan.

Tsunade let out a growl as she leapt at me, her fist cocked back as she went in for a haymaker, obviously wanting to end this quickly to 'put me in my place'.

Even without my enhanced eyesight I was easily able to move out of the way with ease of her strike before striking back at her with a pair of hard blows to her abdomen before I backed out of the way of her backhand as she tried to put some distance between us.

Distance that I wasn't about to allow her as I shot in close, slamming my fist into her abdomen again, forcing her to cough out in pain as she swung at me again with a haymaker.

"It's quite obvious why _you_ need the [ **Genesis Rebirth** ] technique if this is how you have always fought," I commented with a disappointed tone as I swayed out of the way of her blows again. "Your attacks are painfully easy to predict," I grabbed her outstretched wrist and quickly threw her over my shoulder, throwing her into the ground. "Your guard is non-existent, and you can't even move out of the way of my blows."

Tsunade's anger was palpable as she rose up from the ground, glaring angrily at me. "Just keep running your mouth," she growled at me. "We'll see how well you can when I land a punch on your face."

I let out a sigh of disappointment as I dodged another haymaker and smashed my own fist into her face, I could feel the cartilage of her nose breaking beneath my fist as she was thrown back a bit.

I didn't even give her a chance to recover as I slipped into a modified [ **Strong Fist** ] stance that I picked up from my time sparring with Guy and hammered my fist, several times into her sternum, forcing the air out of her.

As she crashed into the ground she looked up, her eyes widening as she saw my heel descending down upon her in an axe kick that smashed into her shoulder, a cracking sound echoing through the training ground as bones broke.

Letting out a sigh I took a step back from Tsunade who let out a groan of pain. "So, do you think I should remain on the back lines because I chose to specialize Iryojutsu?" I questioned in a bored tone. "Your rules work for _you_ , not everyone else, I refuse to allow the talent of _any_ medics under my command to be wasted because of the rules that _you_ decided to put upon them," I turned and began to walk away. "Do not forget, that _I_ am the Hokage of this village, _you_ lost that chance by running away from your problems."

I didn't bother to look back as I stalked out of the training ground, doing my best to ignore the slight sob that escaped from the Sannin's throat. It didn't feel good, having to do that to the woman, but it needed to be done, hopefully this would break her out of the box that she restrained herself and others in with those rules of hers.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**


	38. Chapter 34: Kage Showdown

It was an odd thing for him to be doing this, Orochimaru concluded as he pondered recent events as he adjusted his robes around himself, especially since he was reaching out to _every_ minor nation along with the Kumogakure as a part of a conference to 'discuss' the alliance of four of the five great nations.

Really, it should be simple to manipulate them all into attacking Konohagakure and assist him with razing it to the ground, even if it _did_ take him half a year to convince all of these nations to come together for this meeting, using Kabuto as a middleman for all of the discussions to convince them all. The only one left out, was Ame, and that was because it was under the thumb of the Akatsuki, and he wasn't quite ready to deal with them quite yet.

Now all that was left to do was to pluck their strings, play on their fears, and them point them at Konohagakure.

Stepping out of his room for this little 'conference' he began to make his way towards the meeting hall, a smirk playing over his features as he strolled forward, entering into the hall where the gathered shinobi were waiting for him, their eyes locking onto him as he entered.

"Greetings to you all," he greeted with false cheer as he smiled at them, meeting the gaze of the Raikage who had the two-tails Jinchuriki behind him. "Thank you all for agreeing to this little… conference."

"Just get to the point, Orochimaru," a shinobi from the Land of Mountains growled as he narrowed his eyes at the Snake Sannin.

Orochimaru shrugged his impertinence off as he gave the group of shinobi, representing 20 different villages altogether. "Simple, it is these… _alliances_ that Konohagakure is building," he informed smoothly. "And… the threat that their Godaime poses to… _all_ of us."

Orochimaru put a look of concern on his face as he began to pace in front of the shinobi. "While with Hiruzen in charge of Konohagakure, we all could rest easily due to his… passive nature," he told them all carefully. "With their new Hokage, however, with Yuriko Uchiha at the lead of this village, and at the lead of the alliance with _four_ of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, something that has _never_ been seen before, I fear we are looking at the beginning of an aggressive expansion, and unable to act before it is too late."

The various shinobi began to mutter amongst themselves as A simply remained stoic, not budging his gaze from Orochimaru. "And what exactly are you suggesting then?" The lead shinobi from Kusagakure questioned, his eyes narrowed at Orochimaru in suspicion.

"What, I am suggesting, my friends, is that with our combined power, we can match the allied strength of this… Great Nation Alliance, and rise up and take their places," Orochimaru informed with a dramatic flair. "As it stands right now, the alliance only has about three usable Jinchuriki, which, _we_ also have, one of their jinchuuriki is too young for battle, another is simply uncontrollable and can be… turned on them, and the final, has ran away from his village."

He could see the shinobi listening to his words, leaning in as he plucked at their strings. "And not to mention, the fact that out of those three usable jinchuriki, one is an inexperienced _child_ , when we have at least threejonin level jinchuriki, two of which have managed to gain complete control over the beast's chakra."

Several of the shinobi turned to look at the two-tailed jinchuuriki who remained as stone faced as her superior.

"And with this allied group, we could crush this alliance in a single swoop," Orochimaru explained, seeing the shinobi being swayed to his side, although A's stonefacedness was a _bit_ concerning. "If we eliminate Konohagakure first and kill their vaunted Hokage, it would throw their allies into disarray, and allow us to kill them at our leisure."

"Because, that worked _so_ well for you last time, Orochimaru," a feminine voice commented, getting a frown onto Orochimaru's face as he turned to face the speaker only to freeze, alongside every other shinobi in the room, at the sight of a woman sitting in the front row of the circular room, right in front of _dozens_ of eyes.

Yuriko Uchiha.

* * *

I smirked as I saw several expressions flash across Orochimaru's face, and the face of every shinobi around me. "Really, you should have put up a better defense than you have, my little brother could sneak in here wearing neon orange and you would be none the wiser," I taunted, keeping my posture relaxed, even as everyone one else in the room tensed up. "I mean, _really_ , you didn't think we wouldn't realize that this meeting was happening? You're not as subtle as you think, Orochimaru."

"Yuriko Uchiha," Orochimaru hissed out, forcing a smile onto his face. "Well, I must say, thank you for coming here and proving my point, you feel _threatened_ by all of us."

I raised my eyebrow at him in response. "Not really, the reason I am here, is twofold," I told him with a smirk. "One is, you put yourself into the open, and we still want your head, that much is obvious. Two: we are not an _exclusive_ alliance," I could hear a couple of gasps from the crowd. "If you wanted to be apart of this alliance we are building, than you simply had to come to us, and ask, chances are, we would agree to you joining us."

"And… _why_ would we do that, when we could simply kill you now, and parade your body for all to see?" Orochimaru questioned. "You are powerful, but against _this_ many Kage-leveled opponents, you think you stand a chance of victory?"

I let out a chuckle in response. "Perhaps all of you together might be able to kill me, _might_ ," I replied. "But, I can guarantee you, there will only be a _handful_ of survivors, the question you must ask yourselves… who wishes to die first?"

With that, I began to unleash my own Killing Intent, keeping my relaxed pose and smirk firmly in place as the gathered shinobi began to shift about nervously. To their credit, none of them passed out, or stopped breathing in fear. "That is what I thought," I said as I dropped my intent after a few moments.

A snort drew my attention to A and his bodyguard Yugito. "So tell me, _Hokage_ ," A drawled with a dismissive look. "How is that little brother of that Clan Killer of your doing, has he killed any of his clan yet?" I twitched slightly in response, my smirk dropping as I met A's gaze. "And how about your weapon? Have you ever told him the truth about why you took him in?"

I frowned in response. "I would choose your next words very carefully, A-san," I told him in a low and cold tone as several of the shinobi near me began to move away from where I was sitting. "It's not like your own hands are clean, how did that plan of yours to get the Byakugan go again?"

I could _hear_ his teeth grinding from where I was sitting as he glared at me, I knew it was his predecessor who gave the order for the assault, but A was the one who was attempting to manage the fallout from the attempt.

I could see Yugito snarl in response, a purple aura beginning to surround her as she called upon the Nibi's chakra.

Then she made a mistake.

She met my gaze squarely as my Mangekyou Sharingan flashed, and just like that, the Bijuu chakra vanished.

"W-what?" she questioned, looking down at her own hands.

"Foolish child," I chided her lightly. "Just because I don't _like_ using the technique that Madara used doesn't mean that I _won't_. Don't worry though, she's just going to be asleep for a month."

Yugito's eyes were shaking as she turned her horrified gaze to me as A clenched his fist tightly.

"Now… as I was saying, any of you are free to approach us about joining our alliance," I told the crowd as I stood up, brushing some invisible dust off of my shoulder as I did so. "But for now…" I turned my gaze to where Orochimaru had been standing and frowned when I saw he was nowhere in sight. "I have a snake to hunt down and skin."

With those words I spun on my heel and began walking away, showing my back to each and every shinobi in the room, a declaration of my own confidence in my ability to kill anyone who dared to attack me, no matter the situation.

* * *

Life in Kumogakure was considered to be a harsh one, as while their village was near unassailable with its position high in the mountains and covered by clouds, this meant they had no fertile fields to grow food of their own, nor pastures to raise livestock of their own, resulting in them importing everything.

Of course, this also meant that they need a viable source of income, which, as shinobi, was obvious, pushing them to do better, and better as the demand for services grew.

As a result, they were used to harshness, tight belts and hard work. What they were _not_ used to, however, was the bellowing roar of their Raikage as a smashed desk was ejected from his office with the force of a cannon and flew over the village before crashing into a training field that was _thankfully_ empty at the time.

"FUCKING BITCH!" A shouted, panting slightly from exertion as he stood over where his desk had been, after a moment of seething he threw himself into his chair and leveled a look at Yugito. "Anything?"

The blond jinchuriki shook her head. "Nothing… she's… just _sleeping_ , nothing I do is waking her up!" she replied, looking shaken as she hugged herself a bit. "I… I can't even _feel_ her chakra within me, it's… it's like she isn't even _there_. I… I thought it only worked on the Nine-Tails… w-we only heard about the Kyuubi being controlled!"

A ground his teeth together as he glared at the wall across from him in anger. "Obviously, we should have taken that into consideration, considering the Kyuubi is considered to be the strongest of the bijuu." he commented, his chair's arm creaking as his grip on it tightened.

A woman in the corner sighed as she shook her head. "A-sama, you really need to get your temper under control," Mabui sighed as she noted the damages, which were normally regulated to his desk. "Last thing we need is you bringing the building down around us."

A shot his secretary a glare that she didn't flinch from before turning away. "She didn't react like anything we predicted." he commented with a frown on his face. "She's _supposed_ to be highly protective of her family right? Then why didn't she lose her cool like we wanted her to!?"

"Probably because she knew that was what you wanted," Mabui countered. "Yuriko Uchiha isn't exactly a stranger to manipulation or politics, and all the reports we got of her overreactions were when she was still a child, even if she was a jonin at the time."

"Now because of her show of power… the smaller villages are _flocking_ to Konohagakure's alliance," A snarled as he gripped his chair tighter.

"Then perhaps it's time to set that pride of your aside, bro," a new voice inputted as A turned to the window to look at a burly man with eight swords on his body. "Yo, here's the master of fate, the wielder of eight, Killer Bee, wyrd."

There were groans of irritation from both Yugito and Mabui as A frowned heavily at his brother.

"And what does _that_ mean, Bee?" he questioned dangerously, one hand flexing as he readied himself to use his famous [ **Iron Claw** ] technique on his brother for the nth time.

"The facts are the facts, the Uchiha Lady is powerful yeah?" Killer Bee prompted. "And we're losing fans as it stands. So… swallow that pride, and extend that hand."

A frowned as he began deciphering his brother's… _unique_ way of talking. "What, _join_ their alliance?" he questioned after he got Bee's point. "Go crawling to them begging for _scraps_!?"

"No, no, big bro!" Bee waved his hands hastily, reading the signs of an impending [ **Iron Claw** ]. "It's like this, ya dig? We go in now, as equals or we're left out in the cold. It's best to go now and be bold. Fool, ya fool, Kumo already got a bad rap from your old man, bro. Wake up, it ain't like you ta be so slow."

"He… has a point, I can't _believe_ I just said that," Mabui informed, mutter the last point to herself as she rubbed her forehead. "It isn't us begging for scraps if we go now, it's us acknowledging their strength. However, if we wait, we are going to lose contracts to this alliance as they grow in power, and need I remind you, _we have no farmers_. No farmers, no food, no work, no trade."

"Not even mentioning, due to the fact we don't even _have_ food production, we're not exactly self-sustainable," Yugito reminded. "Hell, the entire _country_ relies on trade for foodstuffs as a whole, and I don't think the Daimyo is going to continue to sink money into us if we're not making any of our own like we have been."

The Raikage growled as he was assailed by logic and hard facts from every direction. It was the least favourite part of the job, in his opinion. Give him an enemy he could smash in the face any day of the week rather than… _politicking_.

A paused as he ran over what he had just thought and a smile grew over his face as an idea occurred to him.

"There is a way for us to save some face, perhaps," he commented with a grin. "I challenge Yuriko Uchiha to a match for her to prove herself to me."

Three sets of eyes looked at him with varying emotions between them.

"That seems like a _terrible_ idea."

"That is _definitely_ something _you_ would think of."

"Yo, let's do it!"

A frowned at the three of them in response. "This is what we are going to do," he concluded, nodding to himself. "Mabui, prepare a messenger hawk!"

Mabui groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine… I will… but don't come crying to me when you get your arm ripped off or something by Madara Version 2.0," she sighed out as she began to walk away.

A rolled his eyes in response to her overreaction. This would work, it would show the world that they weren't just bowing to the whims of Konoha or its allies and was willing to stand against them if needed.

* * *

I stared at the missive in my hand. "I must be going crazy," I said tonelessly, looking to Hiashi and Tsume almost beseechingly. " _Am_ I going crazy?"

Tsume chuckled in response as she gave me a feral grin. "'Fraid not, the Raikage is _indeed_ calling you out for a duel," she informed gleefully, Hiashi sighing from his position next to her.

"I think I understand where he is coming from," he informed me bluntly. "He wants to save face by fighting you."

"I can see that, but… _really_?" I was still in disbelief about this. S-Rank Shinobi were some of the strongest weapons in a Hidden Village's arsenal. Kumogakure, despite their focus on strength above all else, possessed exactly three S-Rank Shinobi at any given time, those people being the Raikage himself, as well as the two Jinchuriki of the two Bijuu they possessed. Never in its almost a century's worth of history had Kumogakure ever possessed _more_ than three S-Rank shinobi at once.

I had temporarily negated the possibility that Yugito Ni'i could use Matabi for an entire month, reducing them to two, and now _Unruly A_ wanted to fight me? Battles between S-Rank Shinobi were never small scale, nor were they fought at the drop of a hat or without reason. No one walked away from a battle with another S-Rank without injury; my battle with Kisame Hoshigaki was proof enough of that. If he lost, he would almost certainly be out of commission for at least as long as Yugito's Bijuu powers were, possibly longer.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I let out a breath in irritation. "I really can't say no, can I?"

"Not without losing face to our new allies, no." Hiashi replied.

"Not to mention, A will likely see it as a sign of weakness on your part and make him think he can push you around." Tsume added.

I let out a sigh in response. "Did he say _where_ he wanted to hold this fight of his?" I questioned, not only were injuries guaranteed, but we would reshape the geography in our fight. Where we fought would be very important to prevent anything important from being destroyed… like dams, towns, villages… small mountains, even.

"He's leaving it up to us," Hiashi informed with a small frown. "A concession to you as he is the challenger."

"There is a large unused island to the south of the Land of Lightning, correct?" I questioned recalling my lessons in geography. "We can have our little duel there."

"I shall have the message be sent," Hiashi promised. "Do you have a strategy in mind for the fight?"

I frowned in consideration, running through what I knew of the Raikage. "He isn't a complete idiot," I said after a moment. "But he _is_ a man who often relies on a straightforward assault, a blitzkrieg if you will, to win his fights. With his [ **Lightning Release Chakra Mode** ], he is usually faster, stronger and has better reflexes than any of his opponents. He's a nin-taijutsu user, who specialises in hitting the enemy where it hurts before they can even react. For this fight, I should be able to win without relying on my Mangekyou, but if push comes to shove, I'll use them."

"Just remember not to throw around too many S-Rank jutsu." Tsume said with a snort. "We want him beaten and humbled ever-so-slightly, not a bloody mess."

"I think I can manage that." I replied dryly. "But if he forces my hand…" I trailed off with a shrug.

It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to use the pretext of a duel to assassinate someone.

"Well, just make sure the nearby islands don't regret his decision," Hiashi commented.

I flushed a bit in response. "Nearly make _one_ volcano with your husband and no one ever lets you hear the end of it"

"You nearly made a volcano?" my advisors questioned in me unison.

A groan escaped my lips as I placed my face into my hands. "Oh god," I muttered to myself. I was _never_ going to hear the end of it.

* * *

"So, you go on a hunt for Orochimaru… crash a meeting of all the strongest shinobi outside of the Great Nations, with the Raikage present, and you didn't bring me along?" Roshi questioned me, a smirk playing on his face as we shared a chuckle.

"Had I known that the snake would be in a meeting with A- and S-Rank shinobi, I would have brought you along." I informed my ever-so-amused husband. "I _swear_ that he is just as slippery as a snake though; the bastard managed to leave during the single minute that I had to look away from him to quell the Nibi and stare down A. One day, I am going to corner him, and then…!"

I made a violent ripping gesture with one hand.

Roshi snorted in response as he leaned back into the couch we were sitting on, Naruto-kun off on his training trip with Jiraiya-sama, Madoka-chan was with my mother, and Sasuke-kun was with Hiruzen-sama. "I think there are _more_ than a few people within _and_ without Konoha who would be more than happy to help you with that," he teased me lightly.

I rolled my eyes in response. "Considering what I ended up disrupting, it was a good thing I didn't wait," I told him lightly, laying down so that my head was in his lap. "He was trying to get all the minor countries and Kumo allied against us."

Roshi hummed in response, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, that would have been a disaster." he commented.

It _would_ have been a disaster. Although the minor countries were by no means able to stand up to Konoha on a one-on-one basis, if they'd allied together and had Kumogakure backing them up, it would have taken a lot of blood and death to put them down, even with Iwa, Suna and Kiri on our side. By the time the last sword was sheathed at the end of the theoretical Fourth Great Shinobi War, the casualties on both sides would have been appalling, something Orochimaru and that hollow bastard Kabuto would have no doubt taken advantage of to gather up DNA samples of powerful deceased shinobi, as well as grab bodies belonging to rare Bloodline Limit wielders.

I had no desire to fight in another war unless it was against that bastard Madara. Eventually, I would have to do something decidedly _permanent_ about Kabuto Yakushi, because I had little desire to see the bastard resurrecting famous shinobi as he had done in the original timeline. In order to prevent someone from doing that to me, I had placed it in my will that my corpse and any samples of my DNA were to be burned into ashes upon my death.

"I'm going to up Kabuto's status in the Bingo Book." I told my husband. "He's Orochimaru's right-hand man and likely knows a great deal of the forbidden jutsu that the snake does. Add into that his attempt to kidnap our daughter and I want him dead and buried yesterday."

Roshi growled at the memory of being told by Han of the attempted kidnapping. It had taken him quite some time to calm down after that.

I let out a sigh as I closed my eyes and adjusted my position a bit to get more comfortable as I relaxed against Roshi.

"And now you have to duel the Raikage," Roshi commented with a contemplative look at me.

"Yup, you're coming along with me," I said, opening a single eye to meet his gaze with a bit of a smirk. "You and Kakashi will be acting as my bodyguards for this."

"You've really come around since I forced you two to stop acting like genin fresh out of the Academy." he commented.

I snorted. "I won't deny that we've set most of our differences aside, but we'll _never_ be anything more than comrades in arms. There's too much resentment between us."

"Better than almost using A-Rank jutsu at point blank range, dear." Roshi pointed out blandly.

"Point." I conceded, wincing at the memory of us almost doing exactly that.

Roshi chuckled slightly. "You always did have a temper issue," he commented, smirking at me. "Remember our vacation?"

I flushed in embarrassment at the reminder. It had been one of the few chances we had as a family to take a trip together, and we ended up going to the Land of the Moon to visit the beach.

We ended up getting accosted by a group of missing-ninja bounty hunters who thought they would be able to claim my bounty. Idiots.

The end result had been… well… catastrophic for a neighboring island after I was finished with the missing ninja.

"I was _finally_ able to relax," I pouted in response to his teasing. "You _know_ how long I had been waiting to get out of Konoha and onto a beach."

Roshi chuckled in response, running a hand through my hair. "I know, still amusing, however," he told me.

Letting out a sigh, I allowed myself to relax against my husband. "Fine~" I breathed out. "I'll keep my temper in check against the Raikage."

Roshi chuckled in response. "Thank you," he replied, winking at me in response.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Whatever," I smirked back at him, causing the two of us to laugh in response.

* * *

I let out a sigh as I looked out at the island that I was going to be duelling the Raikage. The island was fairly barren, mostly rocks and coral outcropping from the ocean with sparse vegetation dotted here and there, stubbornly clinging to life in spite of their location.

All around us were a number of other seafaring vessels, each with a number of shinobi from different villages, both recent allies and non-allies, all of them looking to observe the battle between myself and A.

I glanced back at Roshi and Kakashi who were scanning the area. "I'm heading out now," I told the pair of them, getting nods from the pair as the Mist Shinobi manning our vessel continued with their tasks.

Pulling out a tri-pronged kunai I hurled it into the air, the metal glinting in the sun, drawing the other shinobi's attention as the kunai thunked into the rock of the island. A quick flash later and I was pulling the kunai out of the ground as I turned my gaze to the Raikage's vessel.

The dark-skinned man was glowering at me as he took in my appearance before a shroud of lightning surrounded him as, with the shake of passing thunder, he landed landed on the island.

I didn't say anything to him as I drew out my kodachi and held it at the ready, my [ **Sharingan** ] spinning to life as the two of us watched each other for any signs of an opening, the Raikage keeping his gaze locked on my chest to keep his eyes away from my [ **Sharingan** ].

There were a few more moments of silence as we continued to try to stare each other down before I made the first move, launching a brace of tri-pronged Kunai at A.

The Raikage blasted himself out of the way, the ground exploding as his lightning shrouded body hurled itself at me.

* * *

Darui hummed as he watched the initial clash between the two Kages on the island. "So, what do you think is going to happen, Bee?" he questioned the rapper next to him in a bored tone of voice. "Is A-sama going to crush her like he said?"

"Fool, ya fool, crush a Kage? That ain't savvy!" Bee rhymed as he shook his head. "And just a Kage she ain't not!"

Darui grunted in response, even if it sounded stupid, it was true, Yuriko Uchiha was a fabled 'God of Shinobi' as well as being the Hokage. "Fair," he conceded as the Raikage moved himself out of the way of Yuriko's glowing sword, no doubt her signature and infamous sword scalpel technique, he remembered the autopsy reports from the aftermath of her usage of that technique during the war, and it was _not_ a technique to be trifled with.

"Check it, they be almost done testing each other," Bee informed as the pair separated.

"Shit," Darui groaned in response. It was troubling just keeping up with them as they were right now, and _this_ was just them _testing_ each other?

A loud crack was heard as the Hokage vanished from sight, the Raikage managing to bring his vambraces up to stop her sword from removing one of his arms as his chakra shroud kept her scalpel at bay.

"Damn, don't think I've seen anyone move like that without any chakra shroud before," Darui muttered as the Raikage try to stab through her chest with his [ **Hell Stab** ] technique, the [ **Four-Finger Nukite** ] version, only for his hand to pass through nothing as she blurred out of the way.

"Yo, she be pumping some mad chakra through her legs for that, bro," Bee commented, reaffirming that for all his posturing and rapping, he was still a cunning and highly observant shinobi.

Darui grunted in response. "Dangerous, but she is a medic at her core, she could probably fix herself up before any of us even noticed it hurt her," he commented with narrowed eyes as the two traded a couple more passes. "Damn, she's not even concerned with his Chakra shroud."

True enough, the Raikage was forced to roll out of the way as Yuriko's sword suddenly extended forward, mid stab that he was leaning back out of the way, only for the sword to suddenly retract as she moved it to cut into his shoulder, A getting his arm guard in the way once again.

"It'll be the first blow that decides this thing, yo," Bee noted. "Should that sword of hers cut into him, he'll be taking a lot of damage."

Darui grunted in agreement. "She hasn't even pulled out the evolved [ **Sharingan** ] that she was reported to have. Is she _mocking_ A-sama?" he growled angrily.

"Nah, that lady knows better than to do that, she be playing a long game," Bee said with a nod to himself. "Win with that freaky eye, she be losing a pie, wyrd?"

"…what?" Darui asked blankly.

"Look, she can win with the evolved Sharingan, but it'll make people lose respect for her." Bee finally broke out of his rap speech as he got serious. "They'll say back in Kumo that she only won because of it, _not_ her own personal strength. If she wins _without_ using it though…"

"Oh…" Darui replied, his eyes widening slightly as he considered the information. "That… makes sense, yeah."

"Dang right it does, fool, ya fool," Bee grunted as he continued to watch the fight. "Better not blink, the _real_ show is about to start."

Darui raised an eyebrow at Bee before looking at the two as they squared off again.

Their pause was broken by Yuriko spitting out a massive fireball at A only for the Raikage to intercept it with a single finger as he started to use his [ **One-Finger Nukite** ] dispersing the fireball with ease as he charged at Yuriko, who leant herself back at a full ninety degree angle to dodge the strongest form of the [ **Hell Stab** ] technique, a chakra-covered foot coming up in an attempt to kick the Raikage's back.

The large man moved out of the way of the blow as Yuriko continued her attacks in a handstand, both of her feet covered in chakra as she attempted to smash her feet into A. Each blow blocked by the armguard right before he narrowly got out of the way of her sword as she spun herself back up to her feet with a massive slash that would have cut straight across his face had he not moved at that moment.

As she spun in the air, Darui's eyes widened as he spotted her forming several one-handed seals. "What in the world? She can form seals while moving like that!?" he questioned in shock.

It was a well known and accepted fact, that the best ninjutsu specialists could form hand seals while moving, for obvious reasons, while the masters could do so one handed, but it was a known fact that the faster one moved, the more erratic or jerky movements, the more likely you were to mess up the seals.

Taking those facts into account, the fact that she was able to form a complex formula like the one Darui spotted her using, put her in the highest tier of ninjutsu specialists, and she was a MEDICAL specialist.

"[ **Fire Release: Sun Flare** ]!" Yuriko shouted as she landed on her feet her unoccupied hand in a tiger seal as the air surrounding her burst into flames that whipped out at the Raikage.

A growled in response as he lashed out with his one finger, cutting through the flames as he gritted his teeth, the heat obviously affecting him, even with his chakra shroud protecting him from the worst of the effects.

"Those be some mad skills she be laying down," Bee said, a slight frown on his face. "Bro might be outclassed here."

Darui frowned in response. "But, if he can keep her in close quarters, won't that give him a chance?" he questioned. "I mean, yeah, her sword skills are great, but overall, isn't her weakness close quarters?"

"Fight a med-nin up close? That's suicide." Bee shook his head. "I'll be surprised if that's what my bro decides."

Darui winced at the reminder. "He's been blocking her sword pretty well," he countered. "Isn't that how she mostly uses her scalpels? Even if she used her hands, his shroud would make it hard for her to lay a hand on him."

"Not so," Bee denied. "Basic strength scalpels she's been using, she can always overpower them with more chakra."

Darui grimaced in response, not having considered that as the two clashed again, A managing to overpower her long enough for her to lose her grip on her kodachi, the blade spinning away onto the other side of the island. "Hey, he managed to get her sword away," Darui noted hopefully.

"Yo, check it, she be doing something weird," Bee noted as Yuriko began to form a ball of chakra in her hand.

"Yo, that be that Flashing boy's technique!" Bee shouted in surprise at the sphere of chakra.

"Flashing boy's, wait… the Yellow Flash's?" Darui shouted as he looked at the sphere that began to shudder and shift. "It doesn't like she can control it well."

"No ya fool, she be changing it," Bee noted as the sphere shifted and elongated into a sword comprised of swirling blue chakra, the exact same shade as her chakra scalpel. "That be a mite bit of a dangerous thing there."

"[ **Rasenken** ]," Yuriko announced calmly as she held the sword easily in her hand. "Might not be completely obvious, but… it's the [ **Rasengan** ] and the [ **Chakra Scalpel** ] combined into a singular jutsu."

"A 'mite bit' dangerous? Try absolutely _insanely_ dangerous!" Darui shouted back at Bee with wide eyes.

Bee nodded numbly in response, he remembered getting hit by the original technique, and that thing had _hurt_. This however? This would just straight up kill a man.

"Bro better realize the danger of that," Bee said in a low tone. "Even his mighty shroud won't help him with that."

And it seemed it had as the two began to dart across the island, A keeping out of reach of the chakra blade as it cut through his shroud in several places narrowly avoiding a cut or nick that would spell the end.

The Raikage bellowed out a victorious roar as it seemed like Yuriko over extended herself , driving a punch forward that would surely take her out of the fight, only for his first to pass through nothing at all as she vanished with a flash of light as she reappeared behind him with her [ **Rasenken** ] held to his throat.

"This is over" Yuriko announced in a cold tone as A froze.

* * *

Silence descended into the area as every shinobi held their breath, waiting to hear the Raikage's response to my declaration.

I was on a hairs edge, waiting for him to attempt to attack me as I held the [ **Rasenken** ] to his neck.

I tensed further when he shifted a bit, his head turning to meet my gaze for several moments.

Finally a sigh escaped the Raikage's lips. "I surrender," he called out, loud enough for others to hear him, he then lowered his voice as I dismissed the [ **Rasenken** ]. "You certainly are powerful like the rumours say."

"I am only as strong as I need to be to fulfil my duty as Hokage. Nothing more, and nothing less, A-san."

A snorted in response to my statement, standing as he did so. "No one gets that strong _just_ for duty," he replied to me, rolling his shoulders, feeling out the small injuries he accrued during our duel. "But, either way, you have certainly proven yourself, so, Kumogakure will be joining your alliance."

I nodded, blinking as my [ **Sharingan** ] faded back into my coal black eyes.

"I look forward to working with you in the future," I told him honestly as I held out a hand for him to shake.

A hummed in response, reaching out to take my hand into his own. "As do I," he said formally as we shook hands. "Hopefully, this is the start of something new."

I smirked in response. "A-san, we are on the cusp of something amazing," I assured him calmly. "This is only the groundwork for the next generation to take and build upon."

Hge man blinked at me as he met my gaze, his eyes widening slightly. "So… that what my father meant by the insanity of the Uchiha," he murmured, getting a raised eyebrow from me in response. "No matter how insane it seems, you all still strive for that goal."

I raised my eyebrow at the Raikage before me in response. "Is it really insane?" I questioned in response. "Is it really insane to try to leave behind something that will help those who follow me?"

A shook his head in response. "Not quite what I meant, don't worry about it," he said, waving it off. "We should head back to our ships before anyone gets any bright ideas, I will send a hawk about the official signing."

I nodded in acceptance, smirking a bit at him as we separated and headed back to our boats. "Time to return," I announced to my escorts. "We have to prepare for a treaty signing."

The crew on the ship let out a short cheer in response before we set ourselves for our return back to Konoha.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**

 **Yuriko's Stats**

 **Name:** Yuriko **  
Level:** 105  
 **EXP** : 39,582/700,000 **  
Age:** 23 **  
Gender:** Female **  
Title:** Godaime Hokage (+100% Reputation with allied Shinobi, Command of Konohagakure Shinobi, you can gain 25% of experience given out for missions completed by loyal shinobi)  
 **Secondary Title:** God of Shinobi (+50% to all stats +100% Reputation with all allied Shinobi +10% Damage with all ninja arts. Skill [Aura of Absolute Command] active)  
 **Fated Title:** Fatechanger (+100% to all stats.) **  
STATS  
HP - **20,025 **  
CP -** 95,800  
 **STR -** 120 (300) **  
INT -** 160 (400) **  
DEX -** 200 (500) **  
VIT -** 120 (300) **  
WIS -** 160 (400) **  
LUK -** 60 (150)  
 **Ryo** \- 342,761,998


	39. Interlude of Time

**Author's Forward**

 **Hey Guys, sorry about the short length of the chapter and the delay in it's release, writer's block hit _HARD_ on this one, the next one should be a bit longer to compensate for this.**

 **Again, thank you for all of your continued support, I do not plan on this fic dying on me until I complete this. See ya next chapter**

* * *

"C'mon Naruto, you're going to have to pick up the pace if we want to get to the Land of Waterfalls any time soon," Jiraiya called out behind him, his voice irritatingly upbeat for the blond he was talking too.

"Maybe I would be moving faster, if I wasn't having to lug this boulder around!" Naruto shouted back at his teacher as he strained against the ropes binding him to a large boulder that was dragging behind him, with the churned earth behind him disappearing over the horizon.

"Or maybe you could be moving faster if you were actually strong enough to move the boulder?" Jiraiya replied tauntingly, grinning at his apprentice.

Naruto growled in response as he lunged for Jiraya, only to be drawn short by the boulder. "I swear old man, tonight I am going to poison your soup," he promised angrily.

"If you have enough energy to spit venom you have enough energy to drag the boulder more!" Jiraiya replied with a laugh as he continued to walk, secretly impressed at how well his student held up under the training. Yes, he was complaining about it, but he was also getting on with it like a trooper.

Naruto grumbled something rather… rude under his breath as he continued to put one foot in front of the other as they continued to make their way to the Land of Waterfalls. "So why are we going to the Waterfall village anyways?" he questioned, hoping to distract himself from the burning feeling in his legs.

"Your sister is concerned about the fact that we haven't heard anything about their Jinchuuriki even though they're a registered shinobi," Jiraiya informed with a small frown. "With the Akatsuki in the background, she doesn't want to take any chances."

"You think something happened then," Naruto concluded. "Because they're a Jinchuriki, it's pretty noticeable when they fight, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah, there are exceptions, like yourself, but on average, yes," Jiraiya informed. "While for the most part, you rely on your skills, most Jinchuriki are trained to use the chakra of the Bijuu sealed within them the most, given their status as 'living weapons'."

The look on Naruto's face said everything about what he thought about that statement, something that Jiraiya agreed with him on. "Thankfully, however, that seems to be shifting a bit," he added with a shrug.

Naruto still had a frown on his face in response. "Guess I was pretty lucky then," he murmured to himself. "... What's the worse case scenario?"

"That Waterfall sold their Jinchuuriki to the Akatsuki," Jiraiya admitted with a grimace. "Waterfall's shinobi aren't exactly powerful over all, with a few exceptions like Kazuku, so they could very well have chosen to trade the Nanabi Jinchuuriki for safety from the Akatsuki."

"But… why would they do that?" Naruto questioned, an angry look on his face.

"Simple, they want to survive," Jiraiya replied, stopping to give his student an understanding look. "I understand your anger, but you have to remember, most villages don't have the standing force that Konoha does, nor do they have a number of powerful shinobi ready to protect their homes. As it stands, right now, outside of their jinchuuriki, Waterfall's highest ranked shinobi is a jonin who is currently a B-Rank in the bingo book."

Naruto frown in response as he turned his gaze away. "It still isn't right…" he replied.

"Not saying it is," Jiraiya assured. "Things are changing, but change is a slow thing."

"Right…" Naruto murmured before grunting as he picked up his pace a bit.

Next to him Jiraiya smirked at his student, proud of the progress he was making.

* * *

Sasuke panted as he carefully maintained his balance on the point of a surface no bigger than the surface of a kunai.

"Keep a focus on your center of balance, Sasuke-kun," his instructor cautioned him. "In order to balance the elements, you must learn to balance yourself, physically and mentally."

Sasuke flicked his eyes over to the twice retired kage for a brief moment before returning his focus to the exercise before him. Not only was he to keep his focus on keeping himself balanced, but ye also had to enter a state of zero thought, allowing his body to rely on instinct to keep itself balanced.

Which was far easier to say than do. Doubly so for Sasuke who had a tendency to overthink everything he was doing.

"Alright, time for a break," Hiruzen announced after a few more minutes, Sasuke's irritation beginning to show. "I must say, you are making remarkable progress with this exercise."

Sasuke blinked in response as he sprawled out on the ground, his muscles burning from keeping himself balanced for nearly half an hour. "What do you mean?" he questioned. "It doesn't feel like I'm making any progress at all."

"And I doubt you ever will, Sasuke-kun," Hiruzen informed patiently. "I am not expecting you to become a monk and reach a state of nothingness, what this exercise is meant to do is improve your ability to focus. To balance your elemental affinity you must focus on the feel of each element, which is why starting tomorrow you are going to start working on elemental chakra exercise while balancing yourself."

Hiruzen chuckled as Sasuke paled, staring at him with wide eyes. "I did warn you, I will be the worst slave driver you have ever seen."

The response from the young Uchiha would have had Yuriko cleaning his mouth with soap if she had been there.

* * *

Sakura frowned as she focused on the **[Mystic Palm]** jutsu she was using to slowly bind the two broken bones of a fellow shinobi in one of the ER rooms of the hospital, under the watchful eye of Shizune who was instructing the genin in the finer arts of medical ninjutsu.

Shizune nodded as Sakura let out a breath and took a step back, allowing Shizune to inspect her work. "How does it feel?" Shizune questioned the shinobi on the bed as she scanned the leg.

"Almost like new," the shinobi replied with a chuckle. "A bit stiff and sore, but nothing unusual that I can feel anyways. It's always like that after mending a break."

"Indeed," Shizune replied as she finished her scan. "Well done, Sakura-san," she said to the pinkette who smiled happily in response. "The mend is almost perfect, your chakra control is very impressive."

"Yuriko-sensei told me that it would be the most important skill for me to perfect since I have naturally low chakra reserves," Sakura said, blushing at the compliment. "She told me that for shinobi like myself, every drop of chakra is a critical resource that cannot be wasted whatsoever."

"And right she is." the apprentice to the Slug Sannin nodded. "For a Med-nin, even ones with plentiful chakra like Lady Tsunade and the Lady Hokage, efficiency and economy of chakra is paramount. There are _never_ enough Med-nin to go around, and we are almost always rushed off our feet, especially in wartime."

Sakura swallowed in response. "She doesn't really talk about the war with us," the genin commented with a grimace. "Was it really that bad?"

"I wasn't in it myself, too be honest," Shizune admitted with a downcast look. "But… yes, the wars are always terrible, there are a lot of people who die needlessly in wars," the medic ninja shook her head to clear herself of those depressing thoughts. "Come, there's one more thing I wish to test you on before we move on to your training today."

Sakura nodded, smiling widely in response as she followed the medic along through the hospital.

* * *

Roshi took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of nature as he accepted the pure, unrefined Nature Chakra through his coils, allowing it to saturate through him, his body perfectly still as he opened his eyes, his dark iris glowing with chakra as he looked over the forest.

" **Congratulations,** " Son Goku said simply after a few moments. " **You have managed to summon Nature Chakra into yourself without any complications. Get up, move around, get a feel for it.** "

Roshi followed his instructions as he began moving through a basic taijutsu kata that all shinobi learn, less for combat, and more for testing ones current limits. "It's… strange…" he murmured. "It's… definitely stronger, but… not what I was expecting?"

" **Of course, while Nature Chakra does strengthen one's body, it is merely a side effect, try using nature manipulation,** " Son Goku prompted.

Roshi did as instructed and blinked as he felt the fire chakra surge to life around him, surrounding him in an intense flame that didn't harm him. "What the?" he murmured in shock.

" **This is the true strength of Nature Chakra,** " the Yonbi said with a laugh. " **It allows you to channel the raw elements themselves with far greater ease than ever before.** "

Roshi chuckled as he began to manipulate the flames around him. "Right then, we can do a lot with this," he commented with a grin, ideas flashing through his mind.

" **Indeed, shall we start training in ernest then?** " Son Goku questioned knowingly.

"Yeah… let's get started," Roshi confirmed, grinning as he began to manipulate his chakra.

* * *

Orochimaru grunted in pain, as the hand holding a sheet of paper shook slightly from the tremors running through his body.

The snake sannin let out a tsk as he threw the page of Konohagakure's latest movements away, scowling at the bad news on the page. Not only was Yuriko Uchiha virtually untouchable within Konoha, and even when she left Konoha, she alone would be enough to fight him and anyone else he brought along.

Well, if he brought enough along, than by sheer numbers he may be able to take her, killing being the only way that would work, but the numbers needed for such a task would make his actions _very_ noticable. Which was a bad idea as it seemed Yuriko took after Tobirama as a Hokage with a proactive approach, but without the idiotic paranoia and mild ineptitude when it came to dealing with civilians and clans she disliked.

"Orochimaru-sama, they are ready," Kabuto reported as he stepped into the room.

"Good," he grunted out in reply as he stood up and followed his assistant into a raised platform where several cells were arranged semi-circularly around an open area. "Greetings to all of you," he called out in greeting, a wide grin on his face. "Today, each of you were chosen for a special purpose, and a reward."

He spread his arms out to them. "The one who remains standing out of all of you, shall get to leave this place a free man," he announced, getting a reaction from the imprisoned individuals. "The doors shall open soon, and when they do, use everything at your disposal to survive."

True to his words, the doors slid open, allowing their prisoners to walk free as they began a vicious melee with one another. "Any moves from the Akatsuki?" he questioned Kabuto as he took a seat to watch the proceedings.

"Not to many at this time," Kabuto admitted with a shrug. "They seem to be looking for a new recruit to replace Kazuku still, but… Hidan keeps killing them."

"Hardly a surprise. Hidan doesn't know restraint when it comes to that ridiculous 'god' of his." the Snake Sannin chuckled darkly. "It won't be long before they do find someone to take the place of Kakuzu that Hidan can't kill, though. Make certain that I am informed when that happens, Kabuto."

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto confirmed, leaning his head out of the way as a bit of gray matter flew up at them. "What do you think of this batch?"

Orochimaru scowled in response, his expression darkening. "They are not what I desire," he growled, gripping the armrests of the chair tightly. "It is _infuriating_ , to have what I want in arms reach, but unable to grasp it, was there any progress with the cloning?"

"No, every time, there is a flaw in their genetics," Kabuto replied with a sigh. "It looks like it is something that is not to be."

"Well, keep them in stasis at least," the sannin said, frowning deeply. "They will make good cannon fodder at the very least,"

"That is true," Kabuto agreed with a smile. "Even if they are flawed, they still have a sharingan that they are capable of using."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement as the last body fell dead in the arena below them.

Smirking, Orochimaru stood up, and vaulted over the railing, landing before the lone survivor easily, even in his weakened state. "Congratulations," he purred to the survivor, a female with a lean build. "What is your name?"

"Hisui," the woman stated simply, staring at him with challenging eyes. "I can go now, yeah?"

"Of course," he assured gently as he activated his jutsu. "Your body _will_ be leaving, but with me within it."

Hisui's eyes widened as he began to transform, taking on his true form as a multi-headed white snake, composed of numerous other snakes. She prepared to flee from the sannin before freezing in place as the [ **Living Corpse Reincarnation** ] took hold.

After a few moments his previous body collapsed and his new body opened its eyes to reveal yellow serpentine eyes. "Come, Kabuto," he called out to his second in command. "There is still work to be done."

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto replied as he appeared next to his master and followed him out of the arena, leaving the old body to rot.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER!**


End file.
